Following America, Conservative Media Figures Support Comprehensive Background Checks For Gun Purchases

Special Programs Guns & Public Safety

Written by Oliver Willis

Published

Several conservative media figures have publicly come out in favor of comprehensive background checks for gun purchases, specifically closing the loophole allowing private and gun show sales without a background check.

Recent polls have shown widespread support for comprehensive background checks. Pew found that 85% of people supported background checks for private and gun show sales. 88% supported the measure in aWashington Post/ABC News poll, while 92% favored it in a Gallup poll.

While conservative media has opposed many of the Obama administration's proposed gun violence prevention measures since the Sandy Hook school shooting, some have been in favor of comprehensive background checks:

  • In a January 25 appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Republican consultant and commentatorMary Matalin said she had “no objection to background checks.”
  • Fox's Greg Gutfeld was asked on the January 24 edition of The Five if he was in favor of having people at gun shows “go through the same background checks?” Gutfeld replied that “I'm all for background checks.”
  • Fox Business host Lou Dobbs said on the January 14 edition of Lou Dobbs Tonight that he was “absolutely” in favor of universal background checks.
  • On the December 5, 2012 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly said he agreed with NBC's Bob Costas that background checks should be required for weapons purchased at gun shows and described it as a “reasonable” position.
  • MSNBC's Joe Scarborough has urged House Republicans to pass gun legislation - including comprehensive background checks - arguing, “they can either pass a comprehensive gun control package right now and shape it under Speaker Boehner, or they can wait two years when they lose the majority and have Nancy Pelosi write that bill.”

By comparison, the National Rifle Association has opposed comprehensive background checks and has lobbied against Congressional efforts to implement them, while NRA media figures have falsely claimed that background checks would cause “an end to private sales of firearms.”