An interview with Texas Governor Greg Abbott about the horrific church shooting in Sutherland Springs on Monday’s CBS This Morning turned heated as co-host Gayle King made it clear that the only thing she was interested in was using the attack to push for gun control. “So now we’re at place where you get shot at a concert, at a school, at a movie theater, and now, in church. Do you now think that we have to think this is the new normal in this country for the citizens who live here?,” she asked the Republican.
Abbott listed numerous recent acts of violence, including the truck attack in New York City on Halloween, that did not involve guns: “Just last week we saw a person use a truck to mow down people in a bike lane. As you know, we’ve seen bombings at concerts in London, as well as knife stabbings. And so, we need to understand the reality – ” King cut him off: “But right now we’re just focusing on the guns. Right now we’re just focusing on the guns. What is it going to take, in your opinion?”
Abbott called out her bias: “And that is what you’re focusing on.” He then went on to talk about the importance of faith after such tragedies:
...we have evil that occurs in this world....We have evil that we have to confront and, hence, the greatest response to evil is what I encountered in Sutherland Springs last night, and that is the key focus of these victims’ families that I got to hug and hold and pray with. They wanted one thing, they wanted a stronger connection to God, they wanted to be able to pray as we shared a candlelight vigil. And it’s important that we go back to the fundamentals of our faith-based nation and ensure that we’re connected with –
Again King interrupted him, brushing aside any talk of prayer to again demand new gun laws: “Praying and hugs are good, we all agree. We all agree, praying and hugs are very good, but what can we do to keep these weapons out of people that you are saying yourself are evil? What can we do about that?”
Abbott was also on NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America to discuss the shooting, but the hosts on those broadcasts managed to keep the focus on the victims and the ongoing investigation.
King’s biased line of questioning was brought to viewers by JCPenney, LegalZoom, and Bounce dryer sheets.
Here is a transcript of the November 6 exchange:
8:08 AM ET
(...)
GAYLE KING: Governor, we’re hearing stories that eight members of one family lost their lives on that Sunday morning, going to church. So now we’re at place where you get shot at a concert, at a school, at a movie theater, and now, in church. Do you now think that we have to think this is the new normal in this country for the citizens who live here?
GOV. GREG ABBOTT [R-TX]: Well, listen. We need to understand one thing, and that is in this country killing is illegal and we’ve seen challenges in all different kinds of ways, as you know. Just last week we saw a person use a truck to mow down people in a bike lane. As you know, we’ve seen bombings at concerts in London, as well as knife stabbings. And so, we need to understand the reality –
KING: But right now we’re just focusing on the guns. Right now we’re just focusing on the guns. What is it going to take, in your opinion?
ABBOTT: And that is what you’re focusing on. It’s important that we all understand two very important things. And that is, we have evil that occurs in this world, whether it be a terrorist who uses a truck to mow down bikers in New York City, whether it be a terrorist who uses bombs or knives to stab people, or other terrorists who use vehicles – whether it be in Nice, France or any other place in the entire world – who mow down people.
We have evil that we have to confront and, hence, the greatest response to evil is what I encountered in Sutherland Springs last night, and that is the key focus of these victims’ families that I got to hug and hold and pray with. They wanted one thing, they wanted a stronger connection to God, they wanted to be able to pray as we shared a candlelight vigil. And it’s important that we go back to the fundamentals of our faith-based nation and ensure that we’re connected with –
KING: Praying and hugs are good, we all agree. We all agree, praying and hugs are very good, but what can we do to keep these weapons out of people that you are saying yourself are evil? What can we do about that?
(...)
