Billionaire Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg was confronted during a Fox News town hall event on Monday night over his strong opposition to the Second Amendment while employing a team of armed security guards to protect him.
“How do you justify pushing for more gun control when you have an armed security detail that is likely equipped with the same firearms and magazines that you seek to ban the common citizen from owning?” An audience member asked Bloomberg. “Does your life matter more than mine or my families or these people’s?”
The crowd cheered loudly for several moments.
“Look, I probably get 40 or 50 threats every week and some of them are real,” Bloomberg responded. “That just happens when you are the mayor of New York City, or you’re very wealthy, or you’re campaigning for president of the United States, you get lots of threats.”
“So, I have a security detail, I pay for it all myself,” Bloomberg continued. “They’re all retired police officers who are very well trained in firearms. Let me talk about firearms for a second, the Second Amendment gives you the right to bear arms, nobody is suggests that you’re going to change the Constitution, even if you wanted to I don’t think you’d get it done. So nobody is going to take away your right to bear arms.”
“The only restrictions which I’m in favor of is to prevent us from selling guns to people with psychiatric problems, criminals, or people that are minors, OK?” Bloomberg continued.
WATCH:
Michael Bloomberg attacks the Second Amendment when asked about Stop and Frisk.
"The whole idea is to keep people from carrying guns… You just have to make sure there's no guns." pic.twitter.com/jf42UNoEd3
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 2, 2020
Bloomberg did not tell the truth about his views as he has repeatedly advocated for banning semi-automatic firearms.
You paid VA Democrats to ban commonly semi auto rifles and demand citizens turn in or destroy their mags. You spent hundreds of millions to make felons out of innocent Americans and you used stop and frisk as a gun control tactic. So this isn’t true. https://t.co/texJet7SJ8
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) March 3, 2020
The Daily Wire highlighted Bloomberg’s extreme anti-Second Amendment policy views in a profile piece last year:
Bloomberg’s anti-gun advocacy is perhaps the single most defining issue of his recent private citizen activism — and perhaps the single most defining issue of his 2020 presidential bid. He is very closely affiliated with and has helped fund Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action, which are both groups deeply hostile to Second Amendment rights. He also co-founded Mayors Against Illegal Guns while he was mayor of New York City. Bloomberg supports “universal” background checks, which often serve as a rhetorical euphemism for the government serving as an intermediary in all private firearms transfers. Bloomberg believes that every gun owner should need a permit before making a gun purchase. He supports a ban on the undefinable sub-class of firearms referred to as so-called “assault weapons” — a line of thought that, if taken to its logical conclusion, could lead to the banning of all semi-automatic firearms in America.
Bloomberg also claimed that he polled NRA members, which is not really possible because the NRA is a private organization that does not give out any information about its members.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) has ramped up its attacks on Bloomberg in recent weeks as he is single-handedly the biggest anti-Second Amendment activist in the country.
NRA members don't like hypocritical NYC billionaires. You want to know how real Americans feel, Bloomberg? Watch this!
Your $10M #SuperBowl ad won't beat the American spirit. You want to take our guns, go ahead and try. We will fight for our freedom. #SuperBowlLIV #GAOS2020 pic.twitter.com/Bq8bNUqpCn
— NRA (@NRA) February 3, 2020
The NRA’s digital advertisement featured the following quotes:
- A man named Rehn: “Mike Bloomberg suggests that disarming minority males like myself will keep us alive. But I have news for you: Mike Bloomberg is a white billionaire who has no place in telling me how I can defend myself or my loved one. And Mike, as an African American male that you want to disarm, I promise you will never take away my Second Amendment. I am not afraid of Michael Bloomberg.”
- A woman named Ashley: “As the mother of a three-year-old little boy, my family means everything to me. As a woman, I believe that the best way to protect my family is with a firearm. And Michael Bloomberg will never take that right away from me. I’m the gun lobby and I am not afraid of Michael Bloomberg. Mike, come and take it.”
- A woman named Mikaela: “It’s very important to me to keep my home secure and that is why there is a gun on the left side of my bed and the right side. Mr. Bloomberg, your home is protected by armed guards at all times. Why can’t I exercise my Second Amendment rights to protect mine? I am not afraid of Michael Bloomberg.”
- A woman named Olivia: “As a woman, it’s important that I’m able to defend myself. As a mother, I would like to pass that on to my daughter so that she knows she never has to be defenseless. Mike Bloomberg, think about the women in your life, are you okay with the fact that your policies could leave them defenseless? Michael Bloomberg will never take that right away my right to defend myself. I am not afraid of Michael Bloomberg.”
- A man named Deon: “I’m a proud father and if anyone messes with my daughter, they gonna learn today. Mike thinks it’s stupid for us to own guns in our own home. Mike, what part of shall not be infringed don’t you understand? Michael Bloomberg will never take away my right to defend my family. I am not afraid of Michael Bloomberg.”
- A man named Joe: “As a former SWAT officer, I have been in many scary situations before. But Mike Bloomberg, I’m not afraid.”