Ted Cruz: If Republicans Want to ‘Demoralize’ Their Base, They’ll Placate the Undecided with Gun Control

On Thursday, Ted Cruz told gatherers at a Christian Science Monitor event that GOP legislators must stand firm against the Dems’ new far-Left turn toward gun confiscation (here).

Ted was asked by The Hill’s Alexander Bolton about Republican politicians placating swing voters with modified gun control.

This was his reply:

“If Republicans abandon the Second Amendment and demoralize millions of Americans who care deeply about Second Amendment rights, that could go a long way to electing a President Elizabeth Warren. We’re going to see record-shattering Democratic turnout. The only element missing to ensure Democratic victory is demoralizing conservatives so they stay home. I hope we don’t do that. I think that would be a serious mistake.”

“But it would also be a serious mistake as a policy matter,” he added.

His comment on demoralization shouldn’t go unnoticed. He makes an interesting point.

As for policy efficacy, he noted that the Manchin-Toomey bill (expanding background checks to gun shows and internet sales but not transactions among friends and family) wouldn’t have made a difference in recent mass shootings:

“The Democrats’ proposal would not have prevented any of these mass murders. We ought to be focusing seriously, substantively on how you stop these horrific crimes – and what they’re proposing wouldn’t do it. What I’m proposing has a far greater likelihood of preventing these kinds of crimes.”

And concerning the gratuitous gun grab, Ted believes the confiscators comin’ for ya won’t be satisfied with Wave 1:

“Democratic gun confiscation proposals, which are getting more and more common – and by the way, when it comes to gun confiscation on the Left, it starts with so-called ‘assault rifles,’ but the next step is handguns. Now, at this point, I expect people around the room to snicker and say, ‘Come on! That’s ridiculous. They’ll never go to handguns.’ Just remember that in about 24 months when we see them pushing for handgun confiscation – they have not yet proposed it, but that is, I believe, their ultimate goal…full confiscation – that would cost lives.”

Ted also explained that Americans defend themselves with firearms between 500,000 and 3,000,000 times per year, and that the ol’ 2A is “a powerful tool of women’s empowerment.”

Furthermore, Cruz assured he wants to “do more about gun violence,” but that the Democrats’ maneuvering is about politics rather than the actual issue.

Not very long ago at all, those across the aisle sometimes literally laughed on television when a conservative brought up the notion that the Left was moving toward confiscation.

My, how quickly the world has turned.

-ALEX

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