Whether or not you’re a sentient being or an Simple-Bake Oven that hasn’t labored since 1995, you possible know that the majority Republicans are steadfast of their decision to do nothing about mass shootings in America—and that after they open their mouths to touch upon the difficulty, all method of bullshit flies out. As an illustration, final week, in response to the latest Maine bloodbath that left 18 folks lifeless, new Speaker Mike Johnson—who as soon as blamed faculty shootings on abortion and the instructing of evolution—declared “the issue is the human coronary heart, it’s not weapons.” And on Sunday, Florida governor and 2024 presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis had equally absurd—and someway extra cringeworthy—issues to say concerning the matter.
In an interview with Meet the Press, DeSantis initially tried to argue that there isn’t any want for purple flag legal guidelines—as these in his social gathering are apparently contractually obligated to do—although Maine officers, in line with host Kristen Welker, have mentioned that such legal guidelines might have prevented the suspect Robert Card from acquiring weapons earlier than the assault. “Nicely, yeah, I don’t assume you’d even want a purple flag,” DeSantis instructed Welker, claiming that if somebody is institutionalized, it can present up in a background test. Knowledgeable Maine doesn’t have robust background checks, DeSantis, nicely…he didn’t actually have a response to that. And requested if he was supporting strengthening background checks, he merely mentioned, “no,” after which insisted the suspect simply wanted to be dedicated to a psychological well being facility. When DeSantis was reminded that legislation enforcement acquired a warning about Card in mid-September—and couldn’t find him—the governor…didn’t have a solution for that, both.
“When you have got an involuntary dedication, that triggers issues to enter a background test system,” DeSantis instructed Welker, doubling down and ignoring principally the entire information. “So, that ought to have been sufficient if that info was put into it. In order that’s what I’d do. I’d give attention to these people who’ve truly gone and both been involuntary dedicated, been adjudicated to be mentally unwell. That’s actually the method that issues. I believe you possibly can look, you recognize, in Florida, our crime charge’s at a 50-year low, and our violent crime charge’s down 30% since I’ve been governor. So, we’re dealing with it robust.”
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At this level, Welker interjected to level out that, truly, Florida will not be “dealing with it robust,” noting that, “statistically talking, the CDC says that the firearm mortality charge is definitely increased beneath your administration than it was beneath your predecessor’s administration.”
“—the what mortality charge?” DeSantis responded wanting like a full-on deer within the headlights. “No, no.”
“The firearm mortality charge,” Welker repeated, slowly emphasizing the phrases.
“Nicely, proper, nicely, since you had COVID and all that stuff,” DeSantis mentioned, in a prepare wreck of a solution that bought exponentially worse with every passing phrase. “Extra mortality, is that what you’re saying? That went up all over the place within the nation from 2020 on. Our extra mortality went up lower than anyone.” No, extra mortality was not, in truth, what Welker was saying.
“The firearm mortality,” she mentioned once more, apparently hoping in useless that repeating the phrases as soon as extra would assist them penetrate the governor’s mind. Sadly for him, and Floridians writ giant, they didn’t.
