Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) took some heat on Friday for a video — in which he wielded an AR-15 — made to tout two new gun control laws he had just signed banning “ghost guns” and firearms marketing aimed at younger audiences.
The bulk of the criticism came from the fact the Newsom, who held up a firearm as a visual aid in the video and appeared to maintain reasonable trigger discipline throughout, proceeded to point the weapon at whoever was manning the camera.
“This is an AR-15. A weapon of war. The gun industry is openly marketing these to KIDS. With cartoons and mini JR-15s,” Newsom caption d the video in a tweet. “These don’t belong in the hands of our kids or on our streets. I just signed 2 bills that ban ghost guns and these sick marketing ploys.”
This is an AR-15. A weapon of war. The gun industry is openly marketing these to KIDS. With cartoons and mini JR-15s.
These don’t belong in the hands of our kids or on our streets.
I just signed 2 bills that ban ghost guns and these sick marketing ploys. pic.twitter.com/PesYLjPlzi
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 1, 2022
In the video, Newsom addressed the Supreme Court and “right-wing Republicans” directly, saying, “Do you have no common decency, respect, or even common understanding that kids should not have one of these?”
“This is an AR-15, a weapon of war, a weapon of mass destruction,” he continued, moving to put the weapon down — and in the process, he appeared to point it directly at whoever was standing behind the camera.
“I’ve never seen anyone so awkwardly hold a sporting rifle in my life (it’s not a weapon of war and is responsible for the least fatalities, under blunt objects even) and then you flagged your d*** cameraman,” syndicated radio host Dana Loesch pointed out.
“Dude, did you just point that right at a cameraman,” Emily Zanotti added.
“Kids can’t buy guns legally dude. If parents want to buy guns for their kids and teach them how to shoot responsibly that’s fine. California Dems just want to stop the new generation from being exposed to gun culture because they know it will hurt their gun control agenda,” @NuanceBro tweeted.
And then @daddywarpig chimed in, adding, “Get a load of Nazi Hairgel here. Not an AR-15. Not a WEAPUHN OF DER WEHR. Not marketed to babies. JR-15. Shoots a .22lr. Basically for plinking cans and target practice. Also, he points the gun at the cameraman and everyone else in the room, because gun safety what’s that?”
“Dear @GavinNewsom, This is a .22-caliber rifle. It is not a ‘weapon of war’ — for good reason. Lastly, please if you’re going to handle a firearm, treat it as if it is loaded and don’t point the barrel at your camera crew. Thanks,” Young Americans for Liberty tweeted.
Larry Taunton concluded, “Gavin ‘Alec Baldwin’ Newsom points this rifle at his cameraman. This much is clear about so-called #guncontrol: Democrats should not own guns as they don’t know how to use them.”