Last month, the Republican legislature of Nebraska overrode a veto from Democratic Governor Roy Cooper to enact permit-less concealed carry. But despite the fact the Cornhusker State became the 27th state to throw moment behind the growing permit-less concealed carry movement, CNN News Center tried to downplay it and lied about it only being a phenomenon in Southern red states.
In a segment dedicated to the dueling dichotomy of new gun laws respecting and opposing gun rights in America, anchor John Berman noted there “are laws like the ones that we are now seeing in Nebraska eliminated conceal carry – eliminating the need for permits there.” “How much of that are you seeing around the country?” he asked correspondent Zach Wolf.
Wolf admitted Nebraska was “the 27th state to essentially end a requirement for any sort of gun permitting,” thus “a majority of states now” do not require a permit to carry a gun concealed.
This is when things got erroneous. Twice, Wolf asserted that only red states in the South had permit-less carry laws:
These are mostly southern states, primarily red states that are making this move. And you've read a lot about this.
I think population-wise most of the country still requires permitting. But, you know, this move primarily in the south and with red states, means that there's a large portion of the country, more than half the states where you don't need it anymore.
But as Wolf was making these claims, a map appeared on-screen showing which states had permit-less carry and those who would soon enact it. The map blew up his false assertions by showing Western states such as Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Arizona. It also included Midwest states like Ohio (swing state), Iowa, Missouri, and Indiana. And the kicker was that the map also highlighted the Northeast blue states in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Just before Wolf made his false statements about permit-less concealed carry, Berman touted Washington States for cracking down on their citizen’s right to own so-called “assault weapons.”
“So Zach, let's start with the assault weapon ban in Washington because at the federal level – let's be honest, the assault weapon ban doesn't seem to have much hope of passing at the federal level, but some states are doing it piece by piece,” he said.
Wolf threw some cold water on Berman, noting that “its mostly blue states doing it on the west coast, in the northeast and Illinois” and warned “these are all subject to court challenges,” so “there's a real question about how long these assault weapons bans will be in place.”
Unfortunately for CNN, as The Reload reported on Wednesday, these “assault weapon” bans have been growing increasingly unpopular with Americans around the country.
“[A] Monmouth University poll … found 49 percent of Americans opposed a ban on the sale of assault weapons while 46 percent supported one, and six percent were unsure. That marks a nine-point decline in support and a seven-point increase in opposition since Monmouth asked the same question in June 2022,” wrote Stephen Gutowski. “The poll is just the latest to show a decline in support for the policy, which targets guns like the AR-15 and AK-47.”
CNN’s misinformation about permit-less concealed carry states was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from ServPro and E-Trade. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN News Central
April 26, 2023
10:53:23 a.m. EasternJOHN BERMAN: This morning, drastically different gun legislation signed into law in two states. In Washington, Democratic Governor Jay Inslee banned the sale of most assault-style weapons with an exception of law enforcement and armed forces, while Nebraska became the 27th state to eliminate conceal carry permits for most adults. In other words, you can carry guns without permits.
CNN's Zach Wolf joins us now. So Zach, let's start with the assault weapon ban in Washington because at the federal level – let's be honest, the assault weapon ban doesn't seem to have much hope of passing at the federal level, but some states are doing it piece by piece.
ZACH WOLF: Yeah. States have been working on this. And it's mostly blue states doing it on the west coast, in the northeast and Illinois. These are all subject to court challenges, so I think there's a real question about how long these assault weapons bans will be in place. None of them has been stayed yet, but I think that there's a serious court battle to keep an eye on.
Washington State has become the most recent, but we also have places like California, Hawaii and then the northeast we have, you know, New York and New Jersey and states up there.
BERMAN: And in the flip side of this are laws like the ones that we are now seeing in Nebraska eliminated conceal carry – eliminating the need for permits there. How much of that are you seeing around the country?
WOLF: Well, it's a majority of states now. We have the 27th state to essentially end a requirement for any sort of gun permitting with Nebraska. These are mostly southern states, primarily red states that are making this move. And you've read a lot about this.
I think population-wise most of the country still requires permitting. But, you know, this move primarily in the south and with red states, means that there's a large portion of the country, more than half the states where you don't need it anymore.
BERMAN: Zach Wolf, thanks much for being with us on CNN News Central.
