CNN's Chris Cuomo hounded Bernie Sanders on Monday's New Day over his opposition to litigation against gunmakers and dealers. Cuomo spotlighted the lawsuit by some of the families of the Newtown shooting victims and wondered, "Why did you give such a quick no on...whether or not they should be sued?" When the Democratic presidential candidate underlined that he didn't oppose certain kinds of litigation against manufacturers and sellers, the anchor pressed him about the Newtown case specifically: "Do you think they should be able to sue?...many people said you were on the wrong side of that issue." [video below]
Cuomo raised the gun issue midway through his interview of Sanders. He first pointed out that his guest suggested, "Don't go after a mom and pop shop for the fact that we don't like how guns are used when they're in the hands of wrong people." He continued with an apologetic on the Newtown families' lawsuit: "That's not what Newtown's lawsuit is about. Newtown is about going after the major manufacturers, not the mom and pops, and doing it for their marketing — that they promote the use of these things in video games and otherwise."
The CNN journalist then asked his "quick" no question to the Vermont politician. Senator Sanders replied by touting his longtime opposition to "assault weapons," and revealed his support for two types of litigation: "If you walk into my shop and you want 10,000 rounds of ammunition...that's pretty crazy. I should be held responsible. If I am a gun manufacturer, selling guns into areas where I know they're ending up into the hands of criminals, I should be held liable for that as well."
Cuomo repeated his explanation of the families' lawsuit and again asked his guest if the Newtown families should be able to sue. Sanders stuck by his talking point: "In my own personal view, if I sell you a legal product...am I liable for the crazy thing that you do with it? I think not."
Back on the February 22, 2016 edition of New Day, the anchor hyped Hillary Clinton's attack on her Democratic opponent on the gun issue: "She [Clinton] says... I voted for the Brady Bill; Bernie Sanders voted against it many times. He wanted to protect gun manufacturers." When guest Cornel West defended the Vermont senator by asserting that Clinton "uses that one little element to take the subject matter somewhere else," Cuomo shot back, "[The] Brady Bill is a little element to the African American community?"
The transcript of the relevant portion of Chris Cuomo's interview of Senator Bernie Sanders on the April 18, 2016 edition of CNN's New Day:
CHRIS CUOMO: Guns.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Guns.
CUOMO: Your early rationale on why certain sellers shouldn't be sued was, these are mom and pop shops. Don't go after a mom and pop shop for the fact that we don't like how guns are used when they're in the hands of wrong people. That's not what Newtown's lawsuit is about. Newtown is about going after the major manufacturers, not the mom and pops, and doing it for their marketing — that they promote the use of these things in video games and otherwise. Why did you give such a quick no on that — about whether or not they should be sued on that basis?
SANDERS: Well, this is — this is — this is what I think: first of all, please understand that way back in 1988, I ran a campaign for the United States Congress — the only candidate taking on the gun people to say, we should ban these assault weapons which are designed only to kill people. That's my view then. That is my view now. I want to see that put away. What I believe right now is, yes, you're right about mom and pop stores. I sell you a gun legally — you go out and kill somebody — should I be held responsible?
[CNN Graphic: "Sanders On Gun Violence Liability"]
CUOMO: Right—
SANDERS: But this is what I also believe — is that if you walk into my shop and you want 10,000 rounds of ammunition — oh, here it is, Chris; 10,000 rounds — that's pretty crazy. I should be held responsible. If I am a gun manufacturer, selling guns into areas where I know they're ending up into the hands of criminals, I should be held liable for that as well. I believe that—
CUOMO: But the Newtown suit is, you put them in the video games; you market them to the young; you tell people they're tools of empowerment, that they make you cool, they make you mighty—
SANDERS: It's an ugly thing to do—
CUOMO: And they want to sue. I'm not saying they'd win the suit—
SANDERS: Right—
CUOMO: But do you think they should be able to sue?
SANDERS: Well, obviously, they should; and they are suing; and they want to—
CUOMO: Well, you said no.
SANDERS: Well, within a broader context — do I think somebody should be held liable is what I said for selling a legal product. Should somebody have the right to sue and make their case? Of course, they should.
CUOMO: So, the Newtown families should be allowed to sue the manufacturers on the basis of marketing?
SANDERS: They are doing that; they are doing that—
CUOMO: And the judge said yes—
SANDERS: Right—
CUOMO: But many people said you were on the wrong side of that issue.
[CNN Graphic: "Sanders: Sandy Hook Families Should Be Able To Sue"]
SANDERS: Well, if — what I said, in my own personal view, if I sell you a legal product—
CUOMO: Right—
SANDERS: Do I — am I liable for the crazy thing that you do with it? I think not.
CUOMO: All right, I'm help — I'm trying to get you to clarify it because it's been (unintelligible) so much—
SANDERS: But should somebody have the right to sue? Anybody can sue for any reason, and we'll see how the courts react to that suit.
