Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Clinton Her Old Self During Interview

Friday, August 5, 2016

Clinton Her Old Self During Interview

Last weekend, Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton appeared on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, where she was asked about the Second Amendment, the Supreme Court’s decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, and whether court decisions constitute precedent that should be respected.

Clinton answered, or did she? Here’s the exchange between Wallace and Clinton, beginning at 4:05 in this video:

Wallace: At a fundraiser last year, you said this: “The Supreme Court is wrong on the Second Amendment.” Now, in the 2008 Heller case, the Court said that there is a constitutional, individual right to bear arms. What’s wrong with that?

Clinton: Well, I think what the Court said about there being an individual right is in line with constitutional thinking and, I said in the [Democratic Party National] convention, I’m not looking to repeal the Second Amendment, I’m not looking to take people’s guns away. But I am looking for more support for the reasonable efforts that need to be undertaken to keep guns out of the wrong hands. 

Wallace: And the Second Amendment includes an individual right to bear arms.

Clinton: Yes, but that right, like every other of our rights—our First Amendment rights, every right that we have—is open to and even subject to reasonable regulations . . . 

[Note: Clinton currently advocates banning the AR-15 and other semi-automatic firearms that gun control supporters call “assault weapons,” banning any firearm magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds, mandatory background checks on all gun transfers, prohibiting the possession of firearms by people mistakenly placed on the TSA “no fly” list, and repealing the law that protects firearm manufacturers against lawsuits seeking to hold them financially responsible for the acts of criminals.]

Wallace: I just want to pursue this a little bit, because Heller—Justice [Antonin] Scalia—he said that the right to bear arms is reasonably limited. He left the door open to regulation. If you’re elected president, you’re going to appoint the ninth Supreme Court justice.

Clinton: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Wallace: Are you saying you do not want to see the Heller decision, the individual right to bear arms, overturned?

Clinton: No, I don’t, but here’s what I do want, and I want to be very clear about this. I want the Congress to step up and do its job. I want to get out of the horrible cycle we’re in, where we go and mourn dozens, hundreds, thousands of people killed by gun violence. Everybody says, “oh, let’s pray, let’s, you know, send our hearts and our feelings,” and then nothing happens. We’re better than this. The gun lobby intimidates elected officials. The vast majority of Americans, including gun owners, support the kind of common sense reforms that I’m proposing.

Wallace then questioned Clinton about her opinion that the president has the constitutional power to rewrite immigration law through executive action. Wallace asked, “Aren’t you changing the law? Aren’t you writing the law?”

Clinton began answering relative to immigration, but quickly expanded her answer to relate to court decisions on other issues.

Clinton: No, because here’s what I think: The Supreme Court has sent back for trial the challenges to the president’s authority to take categories of people and remove the threat of deportation.

Wallace: And as president, you would be able to name the (ninth) justice who could break the tie.

Clinton: . . . That is true, that I hope that I will have that chance, because it’s not just that. It’s [the Supreme Court’s decision in] Citizens United [which removed restrictions on political advocacy by groups like the NRA]. It’s a lot of things that I think the current Court got wrong. Got wrong, respectfully, for our democracy.

Wallace: So you would like to see all those things changed with your Supreme Court justice.

Clinton: Well, whoever the next president is will get to appoint at least one, maybe more Supreme Court justices, and there are a lot of decisions that I approve of that this Court has made. First and foremost, marriage equality. But there are decisions that I do think, when taken to their natural conclusion, have hurt our democracy, undermined our economy.

Wallace: But what about [legal] precedent?

Clinton: The precedent is absolutely in line. You know, I taught law. I’m a [unintelligible] lawyer. I know that precedent is something that you look to. But I also know that courts can take a look at precedent and determine that maybe they weren’t right the first time.

Unfortunately, Clinton never said why she believes “The Supreme Court is wrong on the Second Amendment,” and Wallace let her get away with it. Whether anyone will believe that she considers the Second Amendment to protect an individual right is doubtful. Not only do her past statements about gun control indicate otherwise, it appears that many Americans don’t believe Clinton on just about anything. The latest CNN poll found that that 68 percent of registered voters think that Clinton is not “honest and trustworthy,” and on Monday the Washington Post Fact Checker gave Clinton “Four Pinocchios” for claiming that she has been truthful with the FBI and the American people about her private email server and her mishandling of classified information.

Clinton probably got closest to the truth when she said that she disagrees with some court decisions, and that courts can reverse earlier decisions. If so, gun owners know which ones she had in mind, Heller and McDonald v. Chicago, which applied the Heller ruling nationwide.

TRENDING NOW
Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

News  

Friday, March 21, 2025

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

On March 20, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published an interim final rule entitled, Withdrawing the Attorney General’s Delegation of Authority. That bland title belies the historic nature of the measure, which is aimed at reviving ...

Supreme Court Upholds ATF Rule on “Firearms,” Unfinished Receivers and Kits

News  

Monday, March 31, 2025

Supreme Court Upholds ATF Rule on “Firearms,” Unfinished Receivers and Kits

On March 26, in a 7-2 decision (with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting), the United States Supreme Court upheld a Biden administration gun control rule on what constitutes a “firearm” under 18 U.S.C. ...

Colorado: FOID Bill On Governor Polis' Desk, More Gun Control On the Move

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Colorado: FOID Bill On Governor Polis' Desk, More Gun Control On the Move

As the clock runs down on Governor Polis' 10-day window to veto Senate Bill 25-003, the semi-auto ban turned FOID-scheme bill, he continues to sit on his hands and let the bill gather dust on his ...

Legislation Introduced to Prevent States from Taxing Guns and Ammunition

News  

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Legislation Introduced to Prevent States from Taxing Guns and Ammunition

Last week, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) and U.S. Representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA-48) and Richard Hudson (R-NC-9) reintroduced the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act (S.1169 and H.R.2442 respectively). This legislation would prohibit states from ...

House Judiciary Committee Votes to Advance Concealed Carry Reciprocity Legislation

News  

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

House Judiciary Committee Votes to Advance Concealed Carry Reciprocity Legislation

On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, the House Judiciary Committee held a markup for several bills, including two NRA-backed bills. With this crucial step in the legislative process now complete, these pieces of legislation can now ...

Reported Israeli Gun Owner Data Leak Exposes Danger of Registries

News  

Monday, March 24, 2025

Reported Israeli Gun Owner Data Leak Exposes Danger of Registries

According to a recent report from Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Iranian-linked hackers were able to penetrate Israel’s databases containing sensitive gun owner data and leaked the information online in early February.

Maine: Bipartisan Coalition Deals Major Blow to Gun Control Bills in Committee

Friday, April 4, 2025

Maine: Bipartisan Coalition Deals Major Blow to Gun Control Bills in Committee

On Thursday, April 3rd, the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary held work sessions on several gun-related bills. 

Oregon: Permit-to-Purchase and FFL-Killer Bills Vote Delayed in Committee

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Oregon: Permit-to-Purchase and FFL-Killer Bills Vote Delayed in Committee

Yesterday, House Bill 3075 and House Bill 3076 were scheduled for a vote in the House Judiciary Committee. During the work session, the Committee Chair announced that the vote on these bills would be delayed until today, April 3rd, or ...

Rep. Hinson and Sen. Cotton Reintroduce Bill to Repeal Firearm Transfer Tax

News  

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Rep. Hinson and Sen. Cotton Reintroduce Bill to Repeal Firearm Transfer Tax

On April 1, 2025, Representative Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) reintroduced the Repealing Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excises Act, or the RIFLE Act. These bills (H.R. 2552 and S.1224 respectively) would remove a $200 excise tax that is imposed ...

Canada: A Fresh Gun Ban as Trudeau Exits

News  

Monday, March 17, 2025

Canada: A Fresh Gun Ban as Trudeau Exits

Just three months ago, Canada’s Liberal government announced that an additional 324 so-called “assault-style” firearms had been added to the list of banned guns established under then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2020.

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.