“What do you have to lose?” It’s a consistent refrain from Donald Trump — that he brought up again at tonight’s town hall — aimed at African Americans and Latinos that manages to completely offend and gloss over his horrible record at the same time.
For starters, Trump is endorsed by the NRA and has already spent $23.5 million on his behalf. He opposes “any limits” on owning a gun.
He would “unsign” President Obama’s executive action that expanded background checks on gun purchases.
Trump would get rid of ‘gun free’ zones at schools and military bases, with classically Trumpian and ignorant reasoning: “Whenever I see gun-free zone, that’s a flag for the whackos to come in and start shooting people.”
This is on top of his overt racism and racial discrimination since the 1970s, major reasons for his strong support from white nationalists and neo-Nazis like David Duke. He continues to flat-out LIE about crime statistics to whip up his blood-thirsty supporters into a racially charged frenzy.
He was sued twice by the Justice Department for refusing to rent to black people. There are “few, if any, black executives in the upper ranks of the Trump Organization,” according to the AP.
And Trump still thinks the Central Park five are guilty, despite being exonerated with DNA evidence!
Donald Trump will not do anything to help African Americans or Latinos combat the scourge of gun violence, much less help their communities. His long history of racial discrimination and opposing common-sense solutions on gun safety make that crystal clear.
Donald Trump and Background Checks
OPPOSED, PROMISED TO “UNSIGN” OBAMA EXECUTIVE ACTION TO EXPAND BACKGROUND CHECKS
Trump, 2016: After Obama’s Executive Action To Expand Background Checks On Gun Purchases, “Pretty Soon You Won’t Be Able To Get Guns.” According to CNN, “Donald Trump on Monday warned that President Barack Obama’s planned executive actions to expand background checks on gun purchases are a step toward even greater restrictions on Americans’ access to firearms. ‘Pretty soon you won’t be able to get guns,’ he told CNN’s Chris Cuomo during an interview on ‘New Day.’ ‘It’s another step in the way of not getting guns.’” [CNN, 1/4/16]
Trump On Possible Obama Executive Order About Guns, 2016: “I Will Veto. I Will Unsign That So Fast.” According to CNN, “Donald Trump on Saturday vowed to ‘unsign’ President Barack Obama’s plans to tighten gun control via executive action, telling a packed rally in Biloxi, Mississippi, that he would protect the right to bear arms. ‘There’s an assault on the Second Amendment. You know Obama’s going to do an executive order and really knock the hell out of it,’ Trump said. ‘You know, the system’s supposed to be you get the Democrats, you get the Republicans, and you make deals. He can’t do that. He can’t do that. So he’s going to sign another executive order having to do with the Second Amendment, having to do with guns. I will veto. I will unsign that so fast.’” [CNN, 1/2/16]
2016: Trump Ignored CNN’s Questions About Obama’s Executive Action On Guns To Keep Signing Autographs. According to CNN, “When asked by CNN after his speech to comment on Obama’s executive actions on guns — as well as a new poll showing a majority of Americans in support of those executive actions — Trump declined to respond. Instead, Trump continued to sign autographs for supporters, ignoring CNN’s questions. Trump, who frequently touts his strong support for Second Amendment rights, has spent little time slamming Obama’s recent executive actions, simply telling his supporters that ‘they’re not going to take your guns away folks’ even though ‘they’re trying.’” [CNN,1/7/16]
CNN, 2016: Trump Said “Obama ‘Probably Means Well’ And That Obama’s Tears As He Spoke About The Victims Of Gun Shootings Earlier This Week Were ‘Sincere.’” According to CNN, “While Trump has said he disagrees with Obama’s move to expand background checks and increase mental health funding by executive action, he said Wednesday he believes that Obama ‘probably means well’ and that Obama’s tears as he spoke about the victims of gun shootings earlier this week were ‘sincere.’” [CNN, 1/7/16]
Bans On Weapon Types And Ammunition
ASSAULT WEAPON BAN
Trump Said He Would Not “Put Any Limits” On What You Can And Cannot Buy Regarding Guns. Interview. O’Reilly: Would you put any limits on what you can and cannot buy. Trump: On the guns I wouldn’t because again, it’s a question of protection and, also, once you start, where do you end? Where do you end? O’Reilly: Slippery slope? Trump: No, I wouldn’t. I get along. I get along very well with the NRA on most of these subjects. I think probably the one is that when you are on a terror watch list. Perhaps in a certain sense my stance is tougher than anybody. But when you are on terror watch list you are on. You don’t get to get a gun. And basically, they are right. And they’re right. No, no, they’re right. There are mistakes. And by the way, there are many, many mistakes on those watch lists. [Fox News’sThe O’Reilly Factor:, 6/20/16]
Trump On Guns, 2016: “We Have Plenty Of Rules And Regulations. It’s Plenty Of Things They Can Do Right Now That Are Already There. They Don’t Do Them.” According to CNN, “Earlier Saturday, CBS released a clip of Trump denouncing Obama’s plan, arguing that ‘a tremendous mental health problem,’ not guns, is the cause of America’s mass shootings. ‘I don’t like it,’ he told CBS’s John Dickerson on ‘Face the Nation.’ ‘I don’t like anything having to do with changing our Second Amendment. We have plenty of rules and regulations. It’s plenty of things they can do right now that are already there. They don’t do them.’” [CNN, 1/2/16]
Trump, 2016: “It Is Not The Gun That Pulls The Trigger.” According to CNN, “He added: ‘All they want to do is blame the guns. And it is not the gun that pulls the trigger.’” [CNN, 1/2/16]
Gun-Free Zones
TRUMP OPPOSED GUN-FREE ZONES
Trump On Gun-Free Zones, 2016: “It’s Like Holding Up Candy To A Baby. It’s Like Saying, ‘Please Come And Kill Us Because We Have Absolutely No Protection.’” According to New York Times, “Mr. Trump even took questions from the audience, which he rarely does and certainly not in a vast arena. One young man asked him how he would get rid of gun-free zones. ‘Gun-free zones are a disaster,’ Mr. Trump pronounced. ‘It’s like holding up candy to a baby. It’s like saying, ‘Please come and kill us because we have absolutely no protection.’ ’” [New York Times, 2/3/16]
Trump, 2016: “Whenever I See Gun-Free Zone, That’s A Flag For The Whackos To Come In And Start Shooting People.” According to CNN, “Trump also used the interview to slam areas where guns are prohibited or restricted, saying, ‘Whenever I see gun-free zone, that’s a flag for the whackos to come in and start shooting people.’” [CNN, 1/4/16]
2016: Trump Pledged To “Get Rid” Of Gun-Free Zones In Schools, On Military Bases. According to CNN, “Donald Trump on Thursday pledged to ‘get rid’ of gun-free zones in school and on military bases, as President Barack Obama more than 500 miles away made his case for tightening gun control.” [CNN, 1/7/16]
Trump, 2016: “You Know What A Gun-Free Zone Is To A Sicko? That’s Bait.” According to CNN, “As Obama discussed his executive actions aimed at expanding background checks during a CNN-hosted town hall in Fairfax, Virginia, Trump berated the existence of ‘gun-free zones’ and touted the benefits of law-abiding citizens carrying a gun. ‘You know what a gun-free zone is to a sicko? That’s bait,’ Trump said, before vowing to sign an order ending the practice of gun-free zones on military bases. It’s unclear whether Trump also hopes to end gun-free zones in schools in the same way, as he appeared to suggest Thursday night.” [CNN, 1/7/16]
Opposed Gun Free Zones On Military Bases And In Recruiting Centers
Trump, 2015: “President Clinton Never Should Have Passed A Ban On Soldiers Being Able To Protect Themselves On Bases.” According to an interview with Ammoland, Donald Trump said, “No, not optional. As Commander-in-Chief, I would mandate that soldiers remain armed and on alert at our military bases. President Clinton never should have passed a ban on soldiers being able to protect themselves on bases. America’s Armed Forces will be armed. They will be able to defend themselves against terrorists. Our brave soldiers should not be at risk because of policy created by civilian leadership. Political correctness has no place in this debate.’” [Ammoland, 7/7/15]
Trump, 2015: “Banning Our Military From Carrying Firearms On Bases And At Recruiting Centers Is Ridiculous.” According to Donald Trump campaign, “MILITARY BASES AND RECRUITING CENTERS. Banning our military from carrying firearms on bases and at recruiting centers is ridiculous. We train our military how to safely and responsibly use firearms, but our current policies leave them defenseless. To make America great again, we need a strong military. To have a strong military, we need to allow them to defend themselves.” [Donald Trump Campaign, 2015]
NRA
TRUMP CLAIMED HE WAS A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE NRA
Donald Trump Jr. Was A Lifetime Member Of The NRA, A Boar Member Of The Boone And Crockett Club, And A Member Of Ducks Unlimited And Trout Unlimited. According to E & E Publishing LLC, “On those issues, he has largely deferred to Donald Jr., the 38-year-old executive vice president of the Trump Organization, who has hunted all over the world. Sportsmen advocates say the younger Trump is the real deal. Trump Jr. said he’s a board member of the Boone and Crockett Club and a member of Ducks Unlimited and Trout Unlimited. He’s a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, groups that at times have been polar opposites on the public lands policy spectrum.” [E & E Publishing LLC, 5/12/16]
Trump, 2015: “I Am A Life Member Of The NRA.” According to an interview with Ammoland, Donald Trump said, “I am a Life Member of the NRA and am proud of their service in protecting our right to keep and bear arms.” [Ammoland, 7/7/15]
2015: TRUMP PRAISED THE NRA
Trump, 2015: “The NRA’s Efforts To Stop Dangerous, Gun-Banning Legislation And Regulation Is Invaluable.” According to an interview with Ammoland, Donald Trump said, “The NRA’s efforts to stop dangerous, gun-banning legislation and regulation is invaluable. The media focus on those efforts overshadows the great work the NRA does on behalf of safety and conservation.” [Ammoland, 7/7/15]
Trump, 2015: “Many Wealthy Live Behind Gates, Armed Security, And Away From Crime. They May Have Little Understanding Of How Fellow Citizens Are Challenged In Defending Themselves And Their Property.”According to an interview with Ammoland, Donald Trump said, “‘Mayor Bloomberg and I are friends. However, on this we agree to disagree. I believe there are two reasons you do not see a similar effort from Mayor Bloomberg’s polar opposite. ‘ ‘First, many wealthy live behind gates, armed security, and away from crime. They may have little understanding of how fellow citizens are challenged in defending themselves and their property.” [Ammoland, 7/7/15]
2016 ENDORSEMENT
Donald Trump Received An Endorsement From The National Rifle Association. According to NBC News, “The National Rifle Association endorsed Donald Trump at its national convention here on Friday, a late show of support from the nation’s biggest pro-gun-rights group for the presumptive GOP nominee. The endorsement comes despite persistent skepticism from conservatives over Trump’s sincerity on the Second Amendment, after the candidate shifted from backing an assault weapons ban in 2000 to voicing outspoken opposition to any weapons bans and support for an expansion of gun rights since launching his presidential bid.” [NBC News, 5/20/16]
Crime Rate
Trump, Again, Tweeted False Crime Statistics Showing Inner Cities Reaching “Record Levels.” According to The Washington Post, “On Monday morning, Trump posted on Twitter about crime in inner cities ‘reaching record levels,’ which is untrue. While killings have increased in major cities across the country this year — as they did last year — crime rates still remain far below what they were just a few decades ago.” [Washington Post, 8/29/16]
Trump Falsely Stated Crime Is Increasing In America When It Is At A Lower Rate Than Previous Decades. According to Business Insider, “Trump’s claims that crime is reaching all-time highs is false. Although violent crime saw a slight uptick in the first part of 2015, such acts are being committed at a far lower rate than in previous decades, The Washington Post reported in July.” [Business Insider, 8/29/16]
Trump Claimed Crime Is On The Rise In America, Yet Data Shows A Decline In Violent Crime. According to The Washington Post, “Setting aside Trump’s argument about gaining support from black voters (and his assumption that inner-city crime affects only black Americans), his historical analysis is incorrect. […]But Chicago’s experience isn’t universal. New York registered a 4.5 percent increase in its murder rate between 2014 and 2015. Through the first half of 2016, though, the city had fewer shootings than at any point in decades. Year to date, as of this moment, the number of homicides is unchanged.” [Washington Post, 8/29/16]
Trump Claimed That Violent Crime Has “Increased” Across The United States, Even Though Violence Crime And Murder Rates Have Dropped By Almost Half Over The Last 20 Years. According to NBC News, “Trump then turned from the recent shootings to the need to discuss ‘the ongoing catastrophe of crime’ in America’s inner cities which, the candidate says, ‘are rife with crime.’ Trump stated that violent crime has ‘increased’ across the United States, but the facts don’t quite bear that out. Given a short time table, Trump’s claim is true. Comparing the first six months of 2015 to that of 2014, violent crime was up. However, violent crime and murder rates have dropped by almost half over the course of the last 20 years.” [NBC News, 7/11/16]
Trump Tweet, 2016: “Crime Is Out Of Control, And Rapidly Getting Worse. Look What Is Going On In Chicago And Our Inner Cities. Not Good!” [Twitter – Donald J. Trump, 7/12/16]
Trump Cited Incorrect Statistics About Chicago’s Crime Rate—He Claimed 5,000 People Had Been Murdered Since Obama Took Office, 1,500 Higher Than The Actual Murder Rate. According to ABC 7, “When Trump took the stage, he fired a shot at Chicago’s soaring murder rate. ‘Look at Chicago, look at what’s going on. Since President Obama became president, almost 5,000 killings in Chicago and nobody talks about it. We’re going to start talking about it,’ Trump said. However, Trump’s statistic is wrong. Since President Obama took office in 2009, there have been closer to 3,500 murders in Chicago.” [ABC 7, 7/13/16]
The New York Police Department Refuted Trump’s Claims That Crime Is At An All Time High By Releasing New Statistics Monday That Show Crime Rates Are Down. According to The Washington Post, “On Monday, the New York Police Department made an announcement: The number of shootings in New York in the first half of the year had reached a historic low. Murders are down nearly 9 percent over 2015 citywide, and violent crime has dropped slightly. Compared to the first half of 1993, near the city’s crime peak, Donald Trump’s hometown has seen a 76.8 percent drop in violent crime and an 83 percent drop in murders. Murders are down slightly in Brooklyn over the first half of 2015 — and down substantially in Queens. On Tuesday morning, though, Trump painted a picture of a very different situation.” [Washington Post, 7/12/16]
Published: Oct 9, 2016