California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom criticized House Speaker Kevin McCarthy after he refused to answer questions from reporters about the recent mass shooting at a school in Nashville, Tennessee.
McCarthy was caught on camera walking away from reporters who asked him if there would be a legislative response to the violence at The Covenant School, where three 9-year-old students and three adults were killed by a former student who was later killed by the police.
CNN’s chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju tweeted the video of McCarthy, which went viral.
You can see the footage of McCarthy avoiding reporters below.
Newsom shared the video on his Twitter account, with a one-word caption:
"Coward."
You can see Newsom's tweet here:
Many joined Newsom in criticizing McCarthy and the GOP in general for their avoidance of the core cause of gun violence.
McCarthy did offer condolences to the families of the victims later on.
However, his refusal to answer questions from reporters about a legislative response to gun violence has drawn criticism from many.
McCarthy’s stance on gun control has been consistent with the Republican Party’s general pro-gun stance.
In 2019, after a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, McCarthy told reporters video games are a driver behind mass shootings and Congress should focus on addressing it rather than passing gun control laws.
Newsom—who has been vocal about gun control measures—criticized the lack of legislative response to gun violence in Congress. He has been a strong proponent of measures like background checks and bans on assault weapons, which have faced opposition from Republicans.
Newsom’s criticisms of McCarthy reflect a broader partisan divide on gun control, which has only intensified in recent years. The issue has become a hot-button topic in American politics, with both sides accusing each other of inaction and partisan politics.
In January, Newsom slammed McCarthy for not speaking out after massacres in the California communities of Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, saying Californians had not "heard one damn word" from him.
