Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

CNN Denies Reality of Gun Confiscation to Attack President Trump

Friday, October 26, 2018

CNN Denies Reality of Gun Confiscation to Attack President Trump

It’s as if someone confiscated the facts from CNN. When it comes to guns or President Donald Trump the self-professed “most trusted name in news” has a difficult time telling the truth. Combine those topics into a single story and the network can’t seem to help but fabricate a story.

In an October 19 piece for CNN.com titled, “The 45 most bizarre lines from Donald Trump's wild Montana speech,” CNN political reporter Chris Cillizza purported to refute several of the comments President Donald Trump made at an October 18 campaign rally for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Rosendale in Missoula, Mont.

At one point in his speech, President Trump told the pro-gun crowd, “I wouldn't want to be the one that walks into your house and says, 'Give me that gun.' Right? Nobody has the courage to do that. But Matt is going to protect your Second Amendment.”

Cillizza characterized the statement as one of Trump’s “oft-repeated falsehoods about those who support gun control measures: That their ultimate goal is confiscation of all guns, including from law-abiding citizens.” The CNN “journalist” continued,

While there is the occasional radical voice within the gun control movement who suggests something like this, no mainstream Democratic politician has come close to saying it. In fact, both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton expressly rejected the idea that they had any interest in any sort of gun collection program.

Cillizza went on to claim that President Trump was intentionally lying to his audience because “the prospect of a politician coming to your house and taking your gun is something that works for him politically.”

In the first portion of his comment, Cillizza erects a straw man. The President never claimed that gun control supporters seek to confiscate “all guns.” However, Trump is right that the threat of some form of gun confiscation is real.

Cillizza’s comment that “no mainstream Democratic politician” supports gun confiscation is ridiculous. In a February 5, 1995 interview with 60 Minutes, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who authored the 1994 ban on commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms, explained that the ban did not go far enough. Explicitly endorsing gun confiscation, Sen. Feinstein stated, “If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an outright ban, picking up every one of them, Mr. and Mrs. America, turn them all in, I would have done it.” The firearms Feinstein was targeting with her comments included what is now America’s most popular rifle - the AR-15.

As ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Feinstein should qualify as a “mainstream Democratic politician” for Cillizza’s purposes. In fact, she might be a little too mainstream for many California Democrats, as she is facing an election challenge from radical anti-gun California State Senator Kevin de Leon.

Cillizza’s claim that “both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton expressly rejected the idea that they had any interest in any sort of gun collection program” is also false. Both Obama and Clinton have endorsed Australian-style gun confiscation.

Following a high-profile shooting in Port Arthur, Tasmania in 1996, Australia banned almost all possession of semi-automatic rifles and semi-automatic and pump-action shotguns. To carry out the ban, the government created a confiscatory “buyback” program, whereby gun owners were forced to turn in their newly-prohibited firearms for set compensation. In 2002, Australia severely restricted the types of handguns that could be possessed. Again, the country operated a “buyback” to enforce the ban.

Speaking at a September 22, 2013 memorial service for those killed in a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, Obama endorsed the United Kingdom and Australia’s confiscatory gun control schemes. Lamenting Americans’ willingness to protect their Second Amendment rights even in the face of tragedy, Obama stated that such episodes “ought to lead to some sort of transformation.” The former president went on to state,

That’s what happened in other countries when they experienced similar tragedies. In the United Kingdom, in Australia, when just a single mass shooting occurred in those countries, they understood that there was nothing ordinary about this kind of carnage. They endured great heartbreak, but they also mobilized and they changed…

On June 10, 2014, Obama participated in a Tumblr Q&A session where he again endorsed Australia’s gun control regime. Describing his administration’s failure to enact gun control as his “biggest frustration,” Obama noted, “A couple of decades ago, Australia had a mass shooting similar to Columbine or Newtown. And Australia just said, well that’s it, we’re not seeing that again and basically imposed very severe, tough gun laws.”

In a 2015 podcast interview with Marc Maron, Obama again praised Australia’s confiscatory gun laws. Pointing to Australia’s post-Port Arthur measures as the path forward, Obama stated, “When Australia had a mass killing, I think it was in Tasmania about 25 years ago, it was just so shocking to the system, the entire country said, 'We're going to completely change our gun laws’, and they did...”

As for Clinton, during an October 2015 presidential campaign event in Keene, N.H. the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee expressed her support for Australia’s gun confiscation measures. During a question and answer session, an audience member said that Australia “managed to … take away … millions of handguns, and in one year, they were all gone,” and asked, “Can we do that?”

In response, Clinton said in part, “I think it would be worth considering doing it on the national level if that could be arranged.” The former first lady added, “I don’t know enough details to tell you … how we would do it or how it would work, but certainly the Australian example is worth looking at.”

It’s not even necessary to take politicians at their word when they say they support gun confiscation, because there have already been instances of gun confiscation in the U.S.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans law enforcement officers were ordered to confiscate lawfully possessed firearms from the city’s law-abiding residents. In 2008, NRA secured a settlement with the city to return hundreds of firearms to their owners.

Standing as a testament to the dangers of gun registration, New York City has repeatedly adopted confiscatory gun policies. In 1967, New York City adopted a law requiring the registration of shotguns and rifles. In 1991, the city adopted a law barring the possession of certain configurations of semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. As the city knew who the law-abiding owners of the newly-banned guns were, these residents were directed to surrender their firearms, make them inoperable, or remove them from the city. This scenario played out again in 2013, after the city banned possession of an additional class of long guns.

As is often the case when the news media covers firearms, it is difficult to discern whether Cillizza’s comments were more the result of ignorance or deceit. In any case, Cillizza’s invalid assertions on gun confiscation were the epitome of fake news.

IN THIS ARTICLE
Gun Confiscation
TRENDING NOW
Baltimore Gets Serious on Crime Control, and the Results Speak for Themselves

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

Baltimore Gets Serious on Crime Control, and the Results Speak for Themselves

As the mid-year mark of 2025 hits, a promising report on crime trends has come out of the City of Baltimore. Surprising news at first glance until you dig deeper into the policy direction the ...

U.K. Moves to Legally De-suppress Suppressors

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

U.K. Moves to Legally De-suppress Suppressors

On July 4th, President Donald Trump signed into law his “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which included a provision that eliminated the tax stamp fee of $200, but did not deregulate suppressors under the National Firearms ...

President Trump Supports Hunting and Resource Protection with Executive Actions

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

President Trump Supports Hunting and Resource Protection with Executive Actions

Just as the United States was preparing to celebrate 249 beautiful years, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on July 3rd establishing the “Make America Beautiful Again" Commission supporting hunters, outdoorsmen, and outdoor recreationists by prioritizing the ...

Legacy Media Finally Acknowledges Politization of Public Health

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

Legacy Media Finally Acknowledges Politization of Public Health

It appears the editors of The Atlantic are finally willing to entertain an idea that has long been obvious to gun rights supporters.

House Annual Appropriations Process Update

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

House Annual Appropriations Process Update

As the House Appropriations Committee is putting together legislation to fund the government, NRA-ILA has worked closely with policy makers to ensure several long-standing priorities for gun owners were included in the underlying bills.

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

News  

Second Amendment  

Thursday, May 22, 2025

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.1 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act, completely removing suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA).

DOJ Declines to Seek Supreme Court Review of Decision Striking Down Federal Laws Prohibiting FFLs From Selling Handguns to 18-to-20-Year-Olds

Thursday, July 10, 2025

DOJ Declines to Seek Supreme Court Review of Decision Striking Down Federal Laws Prohibiting FFLs From Selling Handguns to 18-to-20-Year-Olds

In Reese v. ATF, the Fifth Circuit held that 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(b)(1) and (c)(1)—which together forbid Federal Firearms Licensees from selling handguns to 18-to-20-year-olds—violate the Second Amendment.

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Monday, July 7, 2025

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed the Florida Budget for Fiscal Year 2025–2026, which includes a Second Amendment sales tax holiday from September 8 through December 31, 2025. The NRA is thankful for Governor DeSantis’ strong ...

NRA-ILA July 2025 Litigation Update

Thursday, July 10, 2025

NRA-ILA July 2025 Litigation Update

In the second quarter of 2025, the National Rifle Association filed two cert petitions in the U.S. Supreme Court and five amicus briefs, while continuing to litigate dozens of ongoing lawsuits across the country.

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

In case you missed the media firestorm last week, a progressive professor at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, Maine, has come under fire for her emails belittling a student for her religious beliefs and views ...

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.