Fox Promoted Extremist Gun Shop Owner

An Arizona gun store owner, who Fox News celebrated for refusing to let Obama voters shop at his store, has made a number of inflammatory comments on his radio show, including calling police officers who “ratted on” a man who made threats against President Obama “low-life sissy cry-babies.”

Cope Reynolds made headlines earlier this month after running a full-page ad in the Arizona newspaper White Mountain Independent that stated, “If you voted for Barack Obama your business is not welcome at Southwest Shooting Authority. You have proven you are not responsible enough to own a Firearm.” Reynolds told the Phoenix New Times that his ad is “a political statement” that “goes way beyond gun control.”

The Fox News early morning program Red Eye has featured Reynolds' ad, and Reynolds himself made an appearance on Fox Business to discuss the widespread attention he has received in recent weeks.

Reynolds is also the host of talk radio program The Shooting Bench. On the latest edition of his show on November 23, Reynolds defended Sam Koivisto, a Jacksonville, Florida police officer who resigned after being reported to the Secret Service for allegedly telling his co-workers, “If an order was given to kill Obama or something, then I wouldn't mind being the guy.” According to Reynolds, the incident proves that Koivisto “works with a bunch of lowlife sissy cry-babies here that somebody ratted on him” and that the officer “was just venting some steam, some frustration off.”

Reynolds' defense of Koivisto was just one of many inflammatory comments on his program:

  • Reynolds referred to the LGBT newspaper Texas Triangle as a “homo paper.” 
  • Discussing the dismantling of a firearms trafficking ring that resulted in the criminal convictions of some of his acquaintances, Reynolds called the federal law enforcement officers involved in the case “thieves, liars [and] murderers.” 
  • Reynolds went on to give advice about what he predicts will be the end of civilized society in the United States, stating, “one of our biggest fears should be the overwhelming mob, gang mentality, the activity that is going to happen during the collapse.”
  • Replying to a veteran who felt snubbed by Reynolds' ad because he had risked his life to Reynolds' rights, Reynolds stated, “That's all well and good that you risked your life, Jose. Thanks for your service. But if you're a liberal and support Obama that negates anything you may have done in the past.” 
  • Turning again to Koivisto's threats against Obama, Reynolds stated that “there is nothing in there anywhere that indicates that the officer had wanted to do that -- he was frustrated as I said -- I don't think it had anything to do with the fact that [Obama] is half black. I think it had everything to do with the fact that [Obama] is an anal orifice.” 

Reynolds appeared on Fox Business' Varney & Company on November 27 for a segment highlighting increased sales at Reynolds' store since running the ad. During his appearance, Reynolds stated, “Many of us very much believe that [Obama] is going to implement more than just an assault weapons ban. And all I have to say to these people is wait and see. If he doesn't, he doesn't. If he doesn't then I'll apologize to the whole world for everything that I've ever said.” In thanking Reynolds for his appearance, Varney said that the segment was “good stuff.”  

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld also celebrated Reynolds' ad during the opening segment of the November 20 edition of Red Eye. Gutfeld introduced the segment by declaring, “If you voted for 'The One,' your shopping days are done. That's the message from one gun store owner in Arizona who took out a full-page ad telling Obama voters to stay the hell away from his shop.” Gutfeld chided Reynolds for “taking politics too seriously” but later said that “the biggest point here” is that people like Reynolds “are just giving a dose of the faux intolerant message that you get from the left -- or the faux tolerant.”