One day after congressman is shot, NRATV commentator touts assault weapons as good protection from the government

From the June 15 edition of NRATV’s Stinchfield

Video file

[BEGIN CLIP]

CHRIS JANSING (HOST): Would you agree, is there any reason for an average citizen to have access to the kind of weapon that we saw used yesterday, for people to have magazines, for people to use weapons that were designed as weapons of war? There were even Republicans who were there yesterday who said, "Look, that gun was for one thing; it was to kill people.

[ ... ]

[END CLIP]

[ ... ]     

GRANT STINCHFIELD (HOST): AN AR-15 is a firearm, it is the most popular firearm in America today as far as long guns go. There is a reason it is, because it works, people use it for hunting, people use it for sport. And I don’t care what media elitist out there, what academic elitist out there, whatever government elitist out there thinks, they are not telling all of us what guns we can and can’t use. The Constitution guarantees us a right to keep and bear arms and there is nothing more common than an AR-15. My lord. Well, joining me now to help talk about all of this, and maybe calm me down a little, is Bill Whittle, NRATV commentator of Billwhittle.com. Bill, thanks for coming on.

BILL WHITTLE: Good to see you, Grant. Normally it works the other way around, usually you are the one calming me down.

STINCHFIELD: Yes, that’s true.

WHITTLE: I think, I personally think it is a mistake for people to say it's used for hunting, or it's used for target shooting. I have my AR-15 to kill people. That’s exactly what [Chris Jansing] said it's for and that’s what I have my AR-15 for. That’s why its there. I am not worried about a deer breaking into my house at 4 o’clock in the morning and coming through the window and maybe murdering me or raping my wife, or anything. I am not worried so much about a coalition of deer marching people into extermination camps. I am worried about people doing that. So that’s what I have that weapon for. The bigger issue here is this idea of this gun as a weapon of war. I hate to break this to her, but basically, essentially every gun is a weapon of war. That’s what they’re designed for. That’s why they’re there. And I think when we start retreating from the purpose of this, we get ourselves into this kind of trouble. And then they start saying, “Well why do you need this for for hunting?” I don’t need it for hunting, I need it to stop bad guys, but mostly I need it to stop people like you. I need it to stop people like you, ma'am, who are trying to tell me how to defend myself, my life, my property, and my family, when you don’t have a clue about any of this. I am sure you live in a world where the police are very, very close, but guess what, the police don't prevent murders and the police don't prevent rapes. They investigate them. They draw a chalk outline around your body. You’ve seen too many movies where policemen come bursting through the door at the last second, guns blazing and shoot the gun out of the bad guys hands. It doesn’t happen that way. The police are there to investigate your murder. They are not there to prevent your murder, they can’t do it, they can’t be there everywhere.

[…] 

WHITTLE: My weapons are here to defend me against my government. Ultimately, when its said and done, that’s the main reason I have these weapons.

Previously:

NRATV: “England has had [Manchester attack] coming for a long time” in part because it has “done away” with gun rights

NRATV: Fresno Victims “May Have Saved Themselves If They Were Armed”

NRATV host calls Pulse nightclub victims “sheep” on one-year anniversary of Orlando massacre