Hours after the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that New York’s laws governing the concealed carrying of firearms were unconstitutional, effectively throwing out “may issue” laws across the country, ABC’s World News Tonight & NBC Nightly News joined their colleagues on CNN & MSNBC and lashed out at the Supreme Court’s ruling.
During ABC’s coverage of the landmark decision, anchor David Muir and senior national correspondent Terry Moran both panicked over the ramifications of New York’s restrictions on receiving a carry permit being thrown out.
Muir asked if Moran “expect[s] to see a wave of challenges in states with similar laws to New York's?” To which he huffed “there are eight states by our count that have very similar laws to New York's, but this case has impact nationwide and on many other regulations, because under it, every American has a constitutional right now to carry a gun for self-defense in public.”
He also bemoaned the fact that “there will be many more Americans carrying many more guns in public” as a result of this decision.
For his part, Muir bitterly reported that “gun rights advocates [are] celebrating the Supreme Court ruling.” He then proceeded to claim that “some asking tonight, in the wake of all these mass shootings, why would authorities want to make it easier to add guns to the streets?”
Muir ignores the fact that the mass shooting in Buffalo took place in New York state with the gun control laws he cherishes in effect, and the school shooting in Uvalde Texas was a gun free zone. He also touted New York City's mayor Eric Adams' hypothetical question “what if everyone on a New York City subway could carry a gun?” The answer is subways would be a lot safer if law abiding Americans could legally carry a gun to protect themselves.
Meanwhile, on NBC Nightly News, things weren’t any less hyperbolic, anchor Lester Holt asked justice correspondent Pete Williams what “today's ruling tell[s] us about the makeup of the court currently?”
Williams obnoxiously replied “it says that this court’s [conservative] super majority is now flexing its muscles” and warned that “we're likely to see this same 6-3 voting pattern in decisions yet to come.”
This biased segment from the networks were made possible by Allstate on ABC & Liberty Mutual on NBC. Their information is linked.
To read the relevant transcripts click "expand":
ABC’s World News Tonight
6/23/2022
6:45:37 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: All right, so, let's get to Terry Moran on this potential ripple effect across the country. He's live at the Supreme Court tonight. Terry, big picture here, do we expect to see a wave of challenges in states with similar laws to New York's?
TERRY MORAN: Sure do, David. There are eight states by our count that have very similar laws to New York's, but this case has impact nationwide and on many other regulations, because under it, every American has a constitutional right now to carry a gun for self-defense in public. The court leaving the door open for regulation in those so-called sensitive spaces, like government buildings, maybe public transportation like the subway and private establishments like taverns or churches are exempt. But the bottom line here, there will be many more Americans carrying many more guns in public. David?
MUIR: Terry Moran live at the court tonight. Terry, thank you. And one more important note on this tonight, gun rights advocates celebrating the Supreme Court ruling. Though some asking tonight, in the wake of all these mass shootings, why would authorities want to make it easier to add guns to the streets? And then there's New York City's mayor Eric Adams who said before this ruling, what if everyone on a New York City subway could carry a gun?
NBC Nightly News
6/23/2022
7:08:09 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: What does today's ruling tell us about the makeup of the court currently?
PETE WILLIAMS: It says that this court’s super majority is now flexing its muscles, the conservative super majority. Remember, the court has ducked this question of guns outside the home for 14 years. This term the conservatives had the votes to answer it the way they wanted and we’re likely to see this same 6-3 voting pattern in decisions yet to come Lester.
