California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom joined Truth Social, former Republican President Donald Trump's troubled social media platform, to troll the GOP and other gun sales activists with his remarks about the "red state murder problem."
Republicans have for years blamed Democratic administrations for high crime rates.
President Joe Biden's administration has not been spared from this either, particularly amid ongoing social unrest throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, claims Democrats are to blame for high crime are misleading.
Eight out of the 10 states with the highest homicide rates in 2020 voted for former President Trump, what the centrist think tank Third Way labeled "The Red State Murder Problem."
Per capita murder rates during 2020 were 40 percent higher in states won by Trump than those won by Joe Biden, according to Third Way. It was these facts that informed Newsom's response.
You can hear what he said in the video below
Newsom said:
"Hey everybody, it's Governor Gavin Newsom and I know we're all on this platform in search for the truth."
"But the truth is I've not been able to find a simple explanation for the fact that we have a red state murder problem."
"Eight of the top 10 states with the highest murder rates happen to be red states."
"So the question is simple: What are the laws and policies in those states that are leading to such carnage?"
Newsom's post comes as the nation continues to reel from the impact of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas—a red state—in which a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers in a fourth and fifth grade classroom.
A White nationalism motivated mass shooting occurred in blue state New York just 10 days before.
However the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory rhetoric that inspired the gunman to drive more than 200 miles to carry out a racist act of domestic terrorism has been cited repeatedly by Republicans—including Trump—and conservatives media like Fox News, OAN and Newsmax.
The states with the most lenient gun laws in the country are red states. It is very easy to get a gun in Texas, where the shooting took place.
Authorities identified the shooter as an 18-year-old male who was a resident of Uvalde and a student at Uvalde High School. He purchased two semi-automatic rifles through a local gun store last month, just days after his 18th birthday.
In 2021, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed a law that loosened gun restrictions, allowing individuals who are 18 years or older to legally purchase long guns, which include shotguns and rifles.
Newsom's move was largely applauded.
Truth Social, the social media platform Trump's team launched after he was booted from Twitter for peddling disinformation that incited an insurrection at the United States Capitol Building, has felt like a punchline since its inception.
Trump is reportedly "fuming" over the failure of Truth Social, according to a Washington Post report published in April about the consequences of the platform's sluggish rollout.
A source who spoke to the publication said Trump is now considering joining Gettr, a Truth Social competitor that prides itself on its commitment to "the principles of free speech."
Trump apparently does not believe Truth Social is "ready for prime time," the source said and Devin Nunes—the former California Republican Representative who left office to run the app—has thus far failed to assuage Trump's concerns and remained largely silent despite questions from reporters.
Adding to Truth Social's woes is the fact two top executives, Josh Adams, Truth Social's chief technology officer, and Billy Boozer, head of product development, recently quit, both after less than a year on the job. Adams was described as the "brains" behind the app's operation and his departure could spell trouble for its future.
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