It's no secret that Donald Trump and the NRA are on the same page, even as the White House does their best to walk a fine line and appear sympathetic to mass shooting victims. After Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the president's stance on Gun Control during her latest press briefing, a host on Fox News decided to speak out.
(Shepard Smith's remarks start at 1:00 in the above video.)
Fox News on Trump
Ever since the tragic mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida last month, the issue of gun control and gun reform has remained a hot topic.
While the usual emotional response to a mass shooting typically slows down over time, the student survivors in Parkland have used their social media popularity to keep the conversation moving, putting further pressure on Donald Trump to find a balance between keeping his base of pro-gun rights supporters happy, while also conceding enough to the opposition.
These issues were discussed by Sarah Huckabee Sanders during the Monday press briefing, while she defended the president's talking point that their isn't enough support to push forward with raising the age to purchase a firearm. Debunking the claims was Fox News host Shepard Smith who did so during a March 12 broadcast.
"That’s not true. It’s just not factually accurate," he said of Sanders remarks.
"There is broad-based support for raising the gun age limit. There is a limit of 21 on handguns and they’re talking about doing it for everyone else," Shepard Smith went on to say. Smith then called out Trump's hypocrisy for promising the students of Parkland that he would "go strong" in reforming the nations gun-laws, including raising the age limit, before changing his tune after meeting with the NRA. This isn't the first time that Smith has split off from the usual Trump-friendly stance of Fox News, though the majority of the network has stood by the side of the commander in chief despite the scandals against him.
Moving forward
While Shepard Smith is speaking out, most members of the conservative media have been in lockstep with Donald Trump, especially on the issue of guns. Pro-gun rights advocates have often clashed with supporters of gun control, creating a wide divide in the United States over the debate. Earlier this month, Republican Gov. Rick Scott caved to pressure in his state and signed a bill increasing the age to purchase a firearm, though with Trump in the White House and the GOP controlling Congress, it's highly unlikely that a national law will be passed anytime soon.