Stephen Colbert Takes On Bill O’Reilly In Gun Control Debate After Orlando Mass Shooting
In the wake of the Orlando mass shootings, it seems that every TV talk show host wants to talk about the tragedy. It’s no surprise that Stephen Colbert decided to tackle the touchy subject, and he even sparred with Bill O’Reilly about the controversial topic. What makes Colbert’s argument so interesting is that during his debate with O’Reilly, Colbert was able to get the conservative commentator to admit that Donald Trump got it all wrong with his own response to Omar Mateen’s attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
According to Vanity Fair, Stephen Colbert argued with Bill O’Reilly for some 20 minutes during the Late Show on Monday night. This wouldn’t be the first time that Colbert and O’Reilly have sparred about various political topics. O’Reilly has previously appeared on Stephen Colbert’s late-night talk show, The Late Show, and his previous gig on Comedy Central, The Colbert Report.
Stephen Colbert calls for action after Orlando: ‘Hate wants us to be too weak to change anyt https://t.co/e9twFDXS2B pic.twitter.com/ah1mh6u1iz
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During the gun control debate between the two talk show hosts, Colbert and O’Reilly got down to business talking about what it would take to make the United States a safer place to live. Colbert asked Bill O’Reilly what measures he was willing to bend on in the name of compromise. Naturally, O’Reilly continued to blame the Orlando mass shooting on Islam extremism rather than the ability to buy an AR-15 assault weapon with very little effort. Even in the case where Omar Mateen was investigated by homeland security and passed multiple background checks both for employment and to purchase the weapon, the fact of the matter is that he purchased the gun legally.
“You can also say the problem is easy access to high-capacity, rapid-firing weaponry. That’s another way to frame it. And it doesn’t have to be either/or.”
Stephen Colbert did win a small victory for those fighting for gun control, especially in the wake of the Orlando mass shooting. The Late Show host was able to get Bill O’Reilly to admit that Congress needs to debate which weapons should and should not be legal. This is something that those in favor of stricter gun laws have been arguing for years. What need is there for an AR-15 assault weapon to be in the hands of an average citizen?
The Stephen Colbert-vs.-Bill O’Reilly saga continues on ‘The Late Show’ https://t.co/RR0iN6ppRh pic.twitter.com/hiuYVC5jEd
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Despite there being plenty of data from countries with more strict gun control laws than the U.S., O’Reilly argued that you “cannot patrol 24-7 criminals and terrorists who have access to guns.” O’Reilly even used the argument that Chicago does have some pretty tough gun laws and the criminals there are killing people at a higher rate than anywhere else in the nation. What he failed to mention is the ease that guns can be obtained by these Chicago residents just by making a quick trip across state lines. Gun control in just one city or state will not work; there needs to be a nationwide effort to reduce gun crimes within our borders.
Later during Bill O’Reilly’s appearance, Stephen Colbert brought up Donald Trump’s response to the Orlando mass shooting. After the tragic Orlando mass shooting, Trump was quick to place the blame on a terrorist Islamic attack and even made a comment about how President Obama may have been involved in the shooting in some way.
Donald Trump was so brazen in his social media remarks after the Orlando mass shooting that he gave himself a pat on the back and acted like he “called it.”
Trump tweeted, “Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don’t want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!”
During the course of Stephen Colbert’s conversation with Bill O’Reilly, he was able to get the conservative pundit to admit that Donald Trump’s response was wrong. After congratulating himself on predicting a terror attack, one which had way more to do with homophobia than Islam, Donald Trump was heavily criticized. Thankfully, even Bill O’Reilly was able to admit that Trump’s remarks were nothing more than politicking and grandstanding.
Where do you stand on gun control in the wake of the Orlando mass shooting? Do you agree with Stephen Colbert that changes need to be made in the United States? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
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