Senator Manchin Avoids Breitbart Debate, Goes After NRA

Senator Manchin Avoids Breitbart Debate, Goes After NRA

Since the defeat of Senator Joe Manchin’s gun control bill in the Senate on April 17, the Senator has avoided a debate with Breitbart News’ AWR Hawkins and is now going after the NRA. 

During an April 28 appearance on Fox News Sunday, Manchin pledged to bring his gun control bill back for another vote. He said he was “absolutely,” going to do so. And added: “I am willing to go anywhere in this country, I’m willing to debate anybody on this issue.”

On May 1 we contacted the Senator’s office, both talking and emailing with Manchin’s communications director Jonathan Kott in attempt to set up a debate between Senator Manchin and Hawkins. 

We told him we wanted to give the Senator an opportunity to make good on his offer to debate “anybody…anywhere” and Kott said he would check the Senator’s schedule and get back to us the following week. 

We did not hear back from the Senator’s communications director, even though we sent a follow-up email on May 9. 

But Manchin is still getting in front of cameras and defending his bill from afar. In fact, reports now indicate he is preparing to launch a TV ad that goes after the NRA for their criticism of his gun control bill.

According to Politico, Manchin will pay for the TV ad “out of his reelection campaign and will start running it later this week.” Manchin has already accused the NRA of lying about his gun control bill in order to sabotage it. And his communications director Jonathan Kott–the very gentleman Breitbart News is still waiting to hear back from–says:

The Washington NRA leadership is clearly out of step with American people and law abiding citizens… The Washington NRA leadership is trying to distort Senator Manchin’s commitment to the [Second] Amendment because they know he is one of the most credible defenders of gun rights.

No explanation was given for the limitations and restrictions that Section 122 of Manchin’s bill places on private sales, nor for the fact that the same section says the bill expands background checks to cover guns sold in “publications,” nor for the fact that Section 128 of the bill sets forth new rules on how to transport guns and ammo.

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins

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