Tonight, Chris Cox told the Republican National Convention that “a Hillary Clinton Supreme Court means your right to own a firearm is gone.” It’s a lie that Republicans love, and it has been completely debunked by multiple fact checkers.
LIE: Chris Cox: “It’s that simple…a Hillary Clinton Supreme Court means your right to own a firearm is gone.” “All the Supreme Court said was you have the right to protect your life in your own home. Hillary says they got it wrong. It’s that simple…a Hillary Clinton Supreme Court means your right to own a firearm is gone. Make no mistake: this election isn’t about the next four years. It’s about the next forty years, so voting for Hillary Clinton, or not voting, is simply not an option.”
THE TRUTH: New York Times: “The notion that she would nominate judges who would somehow overrule the Second Amendment is a Republican talking point that is not based on statements or past actions by Mrs. Clinton.” “Mrs. Clinton has not said whom she would appoint, but the notion that she would nominate judges who would somehow overrule the Second Amendment is a Republican talking point that is not based on statements or past actions by Mrs. Clinton. She does favor new gun control rules, but she has said she would seek them through legislation or executive action.” [New York Times, 6/22/16]
CNN: “Clinton has never argued for abolishing the Second Amendment.” “Trump’s wild claim comes on the heels of an unrelenting barrage of attacks the newly minted presumptive Republican nominee has fired off against Clinton in recent days. Clinton has never argued for abolishing the Second Amendment but has called for universal background checks and stricter controls on firearms.” [CNN, 5/7/16]
FactCheck.org: The claim that “Hillary Clinton wants to take your guns away” and “abolish the Second Amendment” was an argument that “distorts the facts.” “Donald Trump distorts the facts when he says ‘Hillary Clinton wants to take your guns away’ and ‘abolish the Second Amendment.’ Clinton’s gun violence prevention proposal would impose restrictions, including a ban on semi-automatic ‘assault weapons,’ but it does not call for banning all guns. Trump made his remarks at a rally in Lynden, Washington, eliciting boos from his audience. As we have written before, Trump made a similar remark in a TV interview on Jan. 6, when he claimed Clinton ‘wants to take everyone’s gun away.’” [FactCheck.org, 5/10/16]