Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson blasted Republicans for openly backing “unconstitutional” red flag laws during Monday’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
Carlson said Democrats “love emergencies” such as the recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, since it hands them more political power. He then criticized congressional Republicans for backing red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, that allows a court to confiscate firearms from a citizen believed to be posing a violent threat.
“At least 10 Republican senators are backing this effort from the Biden White House and that means this is virtually guaranteed to pass,” Carlson said.
He criticized Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn for telling reporters that lawmakers opposing red flag laws are “worried about the politics” rather than acting to save lives and can pass “sensible” gun legislation that does not “undermine” a citizen’s Second Amendment rights.
“There’s two things to notice about that soundbite which is just so revealing. The first is the use of the term sensible. That is a Democratic talking point approved by the DNC, ‘it’s sensible gun safety regulation.’ So here you have John Cornyn taking Nancy Pelosi’s language, he’s doing it on purpose. And then you hear him describe anyone who disagrees with him—why would you disagree with John Cornyn? Well, according to John Cornyn, anyone who disagrees with him is ‘concerned about the politics’ of red flag laws. Not the wisdom of red flag laws.”
The host then turned to at least 9 other Republican senators pushing for extreme risk protection, including Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Mitt Romney of Utah, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Susan Collins of Maine. He said Graham, who allegedly told Capitol police to shoot more protesters on January 6, is telling law-abiding American citizens they cannot own a gun.
He turned to Florida, where the laws are implemented, and said law enforcement can request a court to confiscate guns on grounds of “any relevant evidence.” (RELATED: ‘Disarming You Is The Point’: Tucker Slams Biden’s Gun Control Speech)
“If you can seize people’s guns without proving that they committed a crime, why can’t you imprison them without proving that they committed a crime? If you can take their guns, why can’t you take their homes? Why can’t you empty their bank accounts?” Carlson added.
He then cited the Supreme Court ruling in Canglia v. Strom ruling that law enforcement seizing a citizen’s guns violates search and seizure rights protected under the 4th Amendment. He said the laws will be enforced through “political lines,” disproportionately taking guns out of the hands of people with the wrong political beliefs.
Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell called on red flag laws to apply to Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro for touting his support for parental rights in schools and religious institutions, then suggesting that the loss of these rights will give parents the option of either leaving the country or obtaining a gun.
“What would qualify as a trigger for gun seizure in the view of Eric Swalwell under the red flag laws that he supports and now Republicans in the Senate support? On the basis of quoting the founding documents of the country we live in, Eric Swalwell says the police should show up at Ben Shapiro’s house and take his firearms away. Does anybody, even Eric Swalwell who is deranged, believe that Ben Shapiro is a violent threat to anyone? No, of course not. Ben Shapiro is an ideological threat and an ideological threat is the only kind of threat people like Eric Swalwell actually care about,” Carlson continued.
He then argued if lawmakers on both sides truly cared about preventing gun crimes, they would enforce existing gun laws on the actual criminals. He played footage of Willie Wilkerson openly supporting Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, who he said only enforces a sentence of 6-12 years for manslaughter.
The host called this enforcement “tyranny” by punishing those with opinions leaders in power do not like.
“People who are favored by the regime can do whatever they want, they vote the right way, they can commit whatever crimes they want,” he said. “But if you’re disfavored by the regime, no punishment is too strong, no infraction too small.”