Conservatives slammed left-of-center gun control activist Matthew McConaughey following his performance at the White House Tuesday afternoon in which he tried to persuade the American people to give into the gun control measures that Democrats are trying to pass.
The remarks from McConaughey comes after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, which is McConaughey’s home town, where an 18-year-old Hispanic male murdered 19 children at Robb Elementary School. The attacker was able to obtain his weapons despite a history of violence toward people and animals.
“We need background checks,” McConaughey said, even though the Uvalde attacker passed a background check, “we need to raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15 rifle to 21, we need a waiting period for those rifles, we need red flag laws and consequences for those who abuse them.”
McConaughey has a history of calling for extreme gun control measures, including supporting gun bans.
Sounding like Democrat Beto O’Rourke, McConaughey said at a 2018 rally for the anti-gun March For Our Lives group in Austin, Texas, that law-abiding gun owners needed to “take one for the team” and give up some of their gun rights, including the ability to own semi-automatic long guns and magazines that have the ability to carry certain amounts of ammunition.
“One, let’s ban the assault weapons for civilians. This is a no-brainer,” he said. “And to my friends out there, that are responsible owners of these assault weapons that they use for recreation, please let’s take one for the team and set it down.”
FLASHBACK: Here is Matthew McConaughey in 2018 calling for a total civilian ban on assault weapons
“Take one for the team and set them down” pic.twitter.com/uHVoGfvzDQ
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) June 7, 2022
McConaughey received blowback and mockery online from those who support the rights guaranteed to Americans in the U.S. Constitution, including the following notable responses:
- Ann Coulter, author: “Let me get this straight: Matthew McConaughey is AGAINST dead kids? Sir, your bravery leaves me awestruck.”
- Ned Ryun, political commentator: “Listen the beauty of the 1A is that it gives you the ability to bareass the world with your stupidity on the 2A…”
- Ben Shapiro, The Daily Wire: “There’s something wrong with a White House that puts Biden on Kimmel and McConaughey in the press room.”
- Ryan Girdusky, political strategist: “So can we say Matthew McConaughey is a crisis actor?”
- Chad Prather, Blaze TV host: “Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you the gun expert that’s made Hollywood money shooting people on screen. Clown. World. Screw this administration.”
- Matthew Kolken, attorney: “I don’t care what a celebrity’s opinion is about whether I should be allowed to keep my rights.”
- Steve Deace, Blaze TV host: “I truly love the dude, but that’s gonna be a no from me dawg. Maybe in another time I might listen, but zero chance I’d agree to empower this government with any further authority over my ability to resist it whatsoever — especially after the last 26 months and counting.”
- Joe Pags Pagliarulo, radio host: “Matthew McConaughey is a great actor. Clearly is hurting for his fellow Texans after #Uvalde. He didn’t mention raising the age to be drafted into war to 21 nor to vote to 21. I think he’s coming from the heart on this. He’s wrong on several parts of it.”
- Matthew Marsden, actor: “Not all Matthews are like this, I promise.”
- Mike Cernovich, political commentator: “Culturally insecure conservatives propped up BASED Matthew McConaughey. lol, it’s all so tiresome.”
- Caleb Hull, digital media strategist: “I don’t need Matthew McConaughey telling me what guns I should and shouldn’t own but thx for the attempt.”
- Dana Loesch, radio host: “McConaughey is repeating every studied and proven non-solution the gun control lobby has ever proposed but he’s wrapping it in a veneer of friendly Texas drawl.”
- Dave Smith, comedian: “Progressives are at their most comfortable when they can worship celebrities as gods. This is the response that you’re seeing to Matthew McConaughey.”
- John Cardillo, political commentator: “Sorry Matthew McConaughey but actors invited up to the podium to act by an incompetent admin’s even more incompetent Press Sec don’t circumvent the Constitution. Go make a movie and we will keep our guns.”
Until five minutes ago, if you asked Matthew McConaughey what "gun control" meant, he would have said "keeping still while you aim at your target." pic.twitter.com/3ci6Re3AEE
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) June 7, 2022
Matthew McConaughey: “More gun control now!”
Also Matthew McConaughey: pic.twitter.com/002cBCm94X— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 7, 2022
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) June 7, 2022