Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Slammed Dan Crenshaw Over ‘Lending’ Guns Tweet

Freshman Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez feuded with Texas Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw on Wednesday in a series of tweets where the two debated gun control.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican from Texas, sent a tweet on Tuesday in response to a story that a woman in Houston, Texas defended herself by shooting a gun at five men who attempted to rob her. According to the original tweet, sent by ABC 13 reporter Miya Shay, at least one would-be robber was shot by the woman.

Crenshaw quoted that tweet and told his followers that it was situations like these that necessitated protecting the Second Amendment.

The debate follows recent mass shootings in the United States in cities in Texas, California, and Ohio that have claimed dozens of lives. The Texas Republican then explained why he was not in support of enacting a universal background check for guns.

“With universal background checks, I wouldn’t be able to let my friends borrow my handgun when they travel alone like this,” Crenshaw tweeted. “We would make felons out of people just for defending themselves.”

But then, the often outspoken New York Democrat got involved. At about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez, who is often referred to by her initials of “AOC,” asked Crenshaw in a quoted tweet why he, a congressman, was “lending” weapons to people who couldn’t pass background checks.

“The people you’re giving a gun to have likely abused their spouse or have a violent criminal record, & you may not know it,” she said. “Why on earth would you do that?”

But Crenshaw didn’t take light at the accusation that he was friends with people who couldn’t pass a background check.

“Seriously that’s your argument?” the first-term congressman asked the first-term congresswoman.

Walmart ending sales of handguns and ammunition for assault-style weapons https://t.co/pUOUFqFUCY pic.twitter.com/wb2eykWDV6

— The Hill (@thehill) September 4, 2019

Crenshaw said that people lend guns to their friends who don’t own one for protection reasons, and told the New York representative that this is something that happens outside of her hometown of New York City.

In another tweet, Ocasio-Cortez told Crenshaw to “keep up” and reminded him that in his initial tweet, he claimed he wouldn’t be able to lend guns to his friends should universal background check legislation be adopted in the United States.

The New York Democrat, who is a member of a group of other freshman congresswoman known as “The Squad,” continued to rail against Crenshaw’s positions in tweets that followed Wednesday.

The exchange comes at a time when more Americans say that gun violence is a major issue. According to an article from The Inquisitr yesterday, gun violence is now the 3rd-most important issue to American voters, just behind health care and immigration.

On Tuesday, Walmart — where a deadly mass shooting took place last month in one of its retail stores — announced changes to its gun policies. The store announced it would stop selling some of its ammunition and all handguns. The U.S. retail giant also asked customers to not open-carry weapons in its stores even in states where the practice is legal.

Grocery retailer Kroger similarly asked its customers to refrain from open-carrying weapons while shopping at its stores, per The Washington Post.