Former Fox News star Bill O’Reilly, who hosts a show on the streaming network The First Monday through Friday, blasted Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker for remarks the latter made regarding gun laws.
Pritzker, a billionaire who is reportedly considering running for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination if Joe Biden does not run again, said that discussions about more gun control in the wake of the Highland Park shootings during a July 4 parade on Monday ought to happen.
“Our Founding Fathers carried muskets, not assault weapons. And I don’t think a single one of them would have said ‘you have a constitutional right to an assault weapon with a high-capacity magazine,” Pritzker said at a press conference. “I am angry. We as a nation deserve better.”
The Democrat governor went on to say “there is no better day and no better time” to talk about gun control, and called gun violence a “uniquely American plague.”
Seven people were killed and several others wounded in the shooting; USA Features News normally does not publish the names of such shooters in order to deny them notoriety.
“A day dedicated to freedom has put into stark relief the one freedom we as a nation refuse to uphold — the freedom of our fellow citizens to live without the daily fear of gun violence,” Pritzker added.
His remarks set O’Reilly into a rant in which he accused Pritzker of refusing to address gun issues because of a racial component.
“You, J.B., are not gonna stop loons, and you won’t stop crime, drug crime, drug gangs, because they’re minority gangs,” O’Reilly said in a raised voice.
“That’s why you won’t stop them! You phony! You aid and abet this murder in Chicago every blankin’ day. You! Don’t be sanctimonious with me!” he added.
WATCH:
Bill O’Reilly loses his mind after IL Gov Pritzker’s press conference in Highlands Park after the shooting. “You won’t stop crime, drug crime, drug gangs, because they are minority gangs!”
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦
The American Wire adds:
The real crisis in America is an abject failure to deal with mental illness, with the left bemoaning the alleged violation of civil liberties. Meanwhile, clearly disturbed people by the thousands are left on the streets to wreak havoc in society, with our jails being the unplanned alternative to the mental institutions of old.
As for Democrats yielding to racial politics, that has been going on since the 1960s as the party panders to minority demographics in exchange for votes, offering trinkets while doing little to provide long term benefits.
Meanwhile, the reason why Democrats appear to be posturing for a potential run at the White House is because there is growing speculation that Biden won’t run again and Vice President Kamala Harris is unelectable.
POLITICO notes:
Amid the will-he-or-won’t-he speculation, Democratic governors are positioning themselves as future party standard bearers.
If Biden bows out, Democratic governors could be well-positioned to step in, seizing on the advantages of state leadership: established brands apart from a damaged national party; state-level policy successes like tackling stricter gun laws or protecting access to abortion; and a degree of separation from the drubbing their national counterparts are likely to suffer in November.
Interviews with more than a dozen Democratic strategists and operatives surfaced a lengthy list of would-be presidential contenders. Aside from Pritzker, Murphy and Newsom, there’s North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who won the state even as Trump prevailed there. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who rose to national prominence during Biden’s vice presidential search, is also frequently mentioned.
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