Gun control won’t help reduce violence, according to CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp.
“Where we have the highest rates of gun control we also have the highest rates of crime,” said Schlapp, who also chairs the American Conservative Union, one of the largest and oldest conservative lobbying groups in the country.
“If we’re going to jump to gun control as a solution to this problem of violence, we’re being deceitful to people,” he adds. “It’s really not going to solve the problem.”
His statements, though, do contrast with other research. The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, for example, found that states with stricter gun laws, such as California, Connecticut, and New York, generally have lower rates of gun-related deaths.
The most recent mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., hung over this year’s CPAC conference, which kicked off in Maryland on Wednesday.
The attack has ignited a national movement -- helmed by the teenage survivors -- pushing for reform.
Perhaps their efforts were responsible for a concession from Schlapp.
“I would also admit that we’re at a time where I think we ought to do a lot more listening and learning and hearing people out,” adds Schlapp.
Alex Ward, National Security Reporter at Politico, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the latest in a looming international threat as Russia continues aggression against Ukraine, in defiance of Western nations.
The recent Virginia and New Jersey elections are making one trend line pretty clear: voters in this climate will vote on education, and it could be a winning tactic for Republicans.
Virginia's race for governor was defined by, as the Republican candidate and eventual winner described it, "school-choice." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking a page out of Governor Youngkin's playbook for his upcoming reelection bid, over-indexing on themes of education. John Kennedy, Florida capital reporter at Gannett, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
North Korea launched its sixth missile test this month, equaling the total number performed in all of 2021. Cheddar News speaks with Bruce Klinger of the Heritage Foundation on why the regime is suddenly ramping up its weapons testing program.
More than 80 lawmakers are calling for President Biden to release a memo outlining the legal pros and cons regarding the president's authority to cancel student loan debt, the total of which sits around $1.75 trillion. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), joined Cheddar to discuss the memo and support the push to forgive student debt that could potentially have a massive positive impact on the U.S. economy. "I think that would be really helpful for all of us to be able to see as we figure out how we can go forward," she said. "It seems like a simple thing to do, and I hope that the administration will release this memo." For her part, Sen. Smith said she believes the president does have the authority to abolish student loan debt.
Dr. Celeste González de Bustamante, professor and director of the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the Univerity of Arizona, and Dr. Jeannine E. Relly, professor and director of Global Initiatives at the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the University of Arizona, join Cheddar News to discuss the recent journalist killings in Mexico.
Joe Kennedy III, a former congressman and co-founder of Give Us the Ballot, joined Cheddar News to discuss voting protections in the United States and how his campaign is aiming to fix the issue of voter suppression. "Yes, redistricting is critical — Give Us the Ballot though recognizes it's 'redistricting, and —', because voting rights has an implication for every single election at every single level: school board, mayor, city council, House of Representatives, Senate, president," he said. Kennedy also gave his thoughts about the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer.
