Right-wing media lash out after Walmart announces newest firearm policy

Special Programs Guns & Public Safety

Written by Cydney Hargis

Published

Following the mass shooting inside a Walmart in El Paso, TX, the retailer announced several changes to its firearm policy, including banning the sale of certain types of assault weapon ammunition and asking customers not to open carry inside the store. Though customers can still carry concealed firearms in the stores, right-wing media figures quickly took to Twitter to claim the retailer wants people defenseless when another gunman “shoots up a Walmart.”

Walmart announces new gun policy after a string of mass shootings

Walmart says it will no longer be selling handgun ammunition, among other new policies. After the El Paso shooting that took place in a Texas Walmart store earlier this month, the retailer announced it will stop selling ammunition that is used in certain types of assault weapons, including the AR-15, as well as handgun ammunition. In a statement announcing the policy change, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said, “We believe these actions will reduce our market share of ammunition from around 20% to a range of approximately 6 to 9%.” McMillion also requested that “customers no longer openly carry firearms” inside the store in “states where ‘open carry’ is permitted.” [Walmart, 9/3/19]     

Though Walmart still allows customers to concealed carry weapons in its stores, conservative media figures slam the retail giant for leaving people “defenseless” 

Dana Loesch: Walmart is eliminating ammunition for guns that are the “most popular for women who own rifles.”

[Twitter, 9/3/19]

The Federalist’s Sean Davis: “Walmart wants its law-abiding customers and employees to be defenseless.”

[Twitter, 9/3/19]

The Federalist’s Jesse Kelly: Next mass shooter will be able to gun “down twenty of their customers who are no longer allowed to defend themselves.”

[Twitter, 9/3/19]

Conservative radio host Antonia Okafor: “Why? Because killers have a habit of listening to your gun control policies in the first place?”

[Twitter, 9/3/19]

Pro-gun researcher John Lott: “Great, so poorer people are less able to defend their families.”

[Twitter, 9/3/19]

Conservative radio host Brandon Morse: Walmart thinks it would be “great” if “no one would be able to defend themselves.”

[Twitter, 9/3/19]

Fox News’ Katie Pavlich: “Translation: If you support the Second Amendment and self defense, don’t shop at our stores.”

[Twitter, 9/3/19]

Conservative comedian Tim Young: Walmart’s new policy “will unfortunately stop a total of ZERO psychopaths from killing if they want to kill.”

[Twitter, 9/3/19]