A conservative gun activist who blamed the Black Lives Matter movement for "looting, violence and murder" suggested the government should extend firearm subsidies in an interview on conservative network, OAN (One America News).
Rogan O'Handley made the comment during a segment discussing an alleged increase in gun sales under President Biden's Administration because "they would like to take away our guns."
"We don't know what they're going to do when it comes to our Second Amendment rights," said the news host, adding, "They're constantly coming up with new ideas, new law suggestions, and ultimately they would like us to be unarmed."
To which O'Handley weighed in with:
"America owns more guns than 50% of the planet. There are more guns than people in this country."
"God bless the Second Amendment and our Founding Fathers. I am absolutely loving seeing these huge, huge gun numbers."
You can watch the video clip of the interview, here.
OAN guest: Federal government should 'subsidize' guns to protect people from Black Lives Matteryoutu.be
O'Handley lauded first-time buyers purchasing firearms to allegedly protect themselves from BLM protests.
"I am absolutely loving seeing these huge gun numbers...we're getting a lot of first-time buyers. People that have never owned a gun in their life are looking around and seeing BLM and Antifa burning down courthouses, police stations... looting, violence, murder."
@RonFilipkowski I missed it. Which city did they burn down?— Paul Krause (@Paul Krause) 1621190688.0
"And they're saying, you know what? These guys are also calling to defund the police. Maybe I have to look at protecting myself and my family. Maybe I should start exercising my constitutional right to keep and bear arms."
He added:
"And I will say I'm in the camp where I think we should actually have subsidies for gun ownership in this country. You know, we subsidize schools, housing, everything."
"Why are we not subsidizing guns? That's a constitutional right and one of the most important. Very happy to see these huge numbers."
@RonFilipkowski Maybe free subsidized counseling for anyone who embraces this idea— TEJA.M / Blue🌊'22 (@TEJA.M / Blue🌊'22) 1621190577.0
Social media users were quick to call out O'Handley's hypocrisy about BLM violence.
@RonFilipkowski They all to stop this racist trope of how BLM protestors are supposedly murdering, looting, and bur… https://t.co/emUhlRPLq5— Society SNAFU (@Society SNAFU) 1621191307.0
@RonFilipkowski 💥 Countless times it was proven the people "burning down buildings" etc are FAR-RIGHT impostors. Me… https://t.co/k8tJmecyF8— MadMerlin✨ (@MadMerlin✨) 1621192956.0
@RonFilipkowski Get back to me when BLM storms and loots a government building, and beats a police officer to death. https://t.co/sdE6ndOeCx— KellybeeHTX (@KellybeeHTX) 1621193911.0
@RonFilipkowski Meanwhile in reality, armed MAGAs rioted, stormed the Capitol, smeared feces and urine all over, st… https://t.co/qjiUlpHwT8— Svea Elske (@Svea Elske) 1621194485.0
Others expressed concern about far-right activists like O'Handley being given platforms to disseminate false and dangerous rhetoric.
@RonFilipkowski Apologies, but these people are in-fkn-sane. We absolutely have to create a new law that makes dang… https://t.co/CWSQK80rBz— RoadTrippingCat🌊🌊🌊 (@RoadTrippingCat🌊🌊🌊) 1621191738.0
@RonFilipkowski How does he still have an IG account? Plenty of stuff the account should be banned for.— Consumability (@Consumability) 1621206634.0
@RonFilipkowski How can their be so many people like this living and breathing and thinking and influencing others… https://t.co/AIG6gyVtOk— Catherine (@Catherine) 1621190082.0
@RonFilipkowski This is a dangerous call to arms for the radicalized right wing. This Russian propaganda TV statio… https://t.co/tL6MaiSRof— Janice Frye (@Janice Frye) 1621205305.0
@RonFilipkowski People are falling for this 🤦 Their desire to believe whatever they just WANT to believe overwhelms… https://t.co/XQezdDGfNS— Syzygus is ✌accinated 💉😷 (@Syzygus is ✌accinated 💉😷) 1621190660.0
@RonFilipkowski They are getting worse or the crazies are coming out because it's spring. What ever the reason-this… https://t.co/pmnd04vMET— Holly Jackson (@Holly Jackson) 1621205751.0
The far-right, pro-Donald Trump cable channel was founded by Robert Herring Sr. and launched on July 4, 2013.
Since then, OAN has become notorious for spreading falsehoods and conspiracy theories on their political talk shows, and they were banned by the White House Correspondents Association after one of their reporters violated social distancing guidelines in the briefing room.