Topline
President Joe Biden blamed the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Republicans’ fear of getting “primaried” as the reason behind a lack of legislative progress on gun safety in the U.S. during his appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” late on Wednesday night, days after a series of deadly mass shootings rocked the country.
President Joe Biden speaks with host Jimmy Kimmel during a commercial break during the taping of … [+]
Key Facts
Biden said the NRA had intimidated members of the Republican Party into believing that if they back “rational gun policy” they will face a primary challenge from hard-right Republicans.
When asked by Kimmel if Republican leaders behind the scenes acknowledge that they would like to do something to tackle gun violence, Biden responded “many of them do.”
The president then urged Americans to make sure that gun safety becomes a “voting issue” and to understand a candidate’s stance on issues like assault weapon ownership and magazine sizes.
Kimmel then asked Biden if he couldn’t just pass an executive order to deal with gun violence, Biden responded he has issued some of them within the remit of his powers as a president.
The president, however, noted that he doesn’t want to emulate his predecessor Trump’s “abuse of the constitution” with executive orders.
Crucial Quote
“I often get asked, the Republicans don’t play it square, why do you play it square? Well, guess what, if we do the same thing they do our democracy will literally be in jeopardy. It’s not a joke,” Biden added.
Further Viewing
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/06/09/biden-calls-out-intimidation-by-nra-as-he-urges-americans-to-make-gun-safety-a-ballot-issue-during-jimmy-kimmel-appearance/