Politics

Feinstein says display of assault weapons at press conference was legal

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein told The Daily Caller that it was legal for her and other Democrats to display 10 so-called assault weapons during a press conference inside the Capitol building on Thursday because she had special permission from law enforcement.

Asked after her press conference in the Dirksen Senate Office Building about the “Assault Weapons Ban of 2013” if she had such permission, the California Democrat said: “Of course.”

Pressed to explain the reasoning for displaying these firearms, Feinstein said it was so “people get an idea of what the weapon is” they want to ban.

“These are all weapons in evidence,” she said. “It is all legal. They are under guard at the present time.”

Asked by another reporter where exactly the weapons came from, she responded: “I’m not going to say. They’re weapons in evidence.”

During the press conference, the weapons were attached to a board and cordoned off.

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Feinstein Assault Weapons

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Feinstein Assault Weapon Display

(Photo: Alex Pappas / The Daily Caller)

Feinstein is pushing a new government ban on more than 150 types of firearms, including rifles, pistols and shotguns. She referred to them Thursday as “military-style assault weapons.”

The display of such firearms that are illegal in Washington D.C. comes after David Gregory, the moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” found himself in hot water for displaying a high-capacity gun magazine during an interview with a leader of the National Rifle Association in December.

NBC studios are in Washington D.C., where possessing such a magazine is illegal. DC police investigated the incident, and no charges were filed.

The stunt also comes after Joe Morrissey, a Democratic delegate in Virginia, caught some colleagues by surprise last week by bringing an AK-47 onto the floor of the House of Delegates while calling for gun control.

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