Fox News contributor and civil rights attorney Leo Terrell blasted fellow contributor and Democratic activist Chris Hahn on Wednesday over use of “the race card” in a heated debate on gun violence.
Sparks flew between Terrell and Hahn as they clashed on “The Story With Martha MacCallum” over whether or not race is an issue when it comes to gun violence, or if it’s just a Democratic talking point. (RELATED: Is It Us, Or Does It Seem Like CNN’s Alisyn Camerota Actually Wants To Turn Gun Salesmen Into Amateur Psychologists?)
Host Martha MacCallum began the discussion by reading a tweet from Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who claimed that the race or ethnicity of a shooter “seems front and center when they aren’t white,” and that “it’s just a mentally ill young man having a bad day” when they are. MacCallum disappointedly noted that “everything always has to become about the color of people.” She then asked Hahn what he thought about that.
The shooter’s race or ethnicity seems front and center when they aren’t white.
Otherwise, it’s just a mentally ill young man having a bad day.
Narratives drive our responses to awful crimes committed against innocent people, pay attention to these responses and who is targeted.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 23, 2021
“I don’t like what was said last week by the sheriff’s office about the shooter having a bad day. I don’t think race is always the issue but it does seem to be partially the issue at times, particularly in certain victims,” Hahn responded. “What I would say here is … we need expanded background checks. The people who were killed last week and yesterday had hopes and dreams. They had a future that was cut short because somebody was mentally ill and were allowed to buy a gun, and in one case without any waiting period at all.”
Hahn went on to say that “something’s got to give” because the U.S. has “the worst record on guns of any country in the world” due to guns being overly-politicized.
MacCallum jumped in and said that Republican Texas Rep. Ted Cruz worked to come up with the Grassley-Cruz Law, which failed to pass through Congress, and “would have stopped people with mental health problems from being able to get guns.” She then turned to Terrell for his response.
“The Democrats filibustered that law that Cruz tried to propose. And secondly, the Democrats play the race card over and over again. It backfired in Atlanta because it didn’t work. They tried to make it a hate crime,” Terrell said. “To attack the police department, Martha, in Atlanta because … he didn’t create a hate crime argument, that is insulting to the police department.”
“Oh please!” Hahn interrupted as the two began to speak loudly over each other.
“Oh please sir! Oh please! Oh please!” Terrell said sarcastically in response to Hahn.
“He said the guy was having a bad day so he killed people. Give me a break, Leo, you know better.” Hahn said, referring to the comments made by a spokesman for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office about the Mar. 16 Atlanta shooter.
“You want it to be a race issue. I do know better,” Terrell responded.
You’re a UCLA grad, you know better! Come on!” Hahn continued.
I’m proud to be a UCLA grad,” Terrell responded as MacCallum ended the segment.