Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union" with host Dana Bash, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) shot down every suggestion she made to change gun laws that could have prevented the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas that claimed the lives of 19 children and two adults.
During the extensive interview, the Texas Republican toed the NRA's line when it came to red flag laws that would flag potential shooters from purchasing a weapon and balked at increasing the age to purchase an assault weapon from 18 to 21.
Later, when asked what he was willing to do legislatively, he answered, "These are hard questions."
Asked about a nation red flag law, Crenshaw told the host he would not support it, telling the host, "No, I wouldn't."
"Now, truthfully, I think there's a lot of problems with red flags, especially at a national level," he attempted. "When it comes to criminal law, that really should be democratically decided at the local and state level, but even so --"
"Would you support a red flag law in Texas?" Bash interrupted.
"Well, no. Here's why: because we are essentially trying to do with the red flag law is enforce the law before the law has been broken. That's a really difficult thing to do. It's difficult to assess whether somebody is a threat. If they're such a threat that they're threatening somebody with a weapon already, they have already broken the law so why do you need the next law? That's the question critics rightfully ask about this."
"You know, because these things have to be reported for them to actually matter," he continued. "You know, and in this case, you have a troubled teenager who did some very strange things. Shooting at people with BB guns, cutting himself, saying crazy things. Does this reach the level where you involuntarily commit him or take his property? Because the thing is, those -- those things this teenager was doing -- could be applied to quite a few teenagers."
Later in the discussion he questioned banning the sale of high-powered weapons to anyone under 21 and dismissed the possibility of legislation that would mandate universal background checks.
Watch below:
CNN 05 29 2022 09 30 42youtu.be
