Here’s what’s been going on in Florida:
If a strange new attack on the National Basketball Association from Sen. Marco Rubio is any indication, the GOP culture war on the sports world might now shift to the gun debate. This evolving battle is illuminating about how GOP culture-war demagoguery on guns really works and why it could soon get trickier to pull off.
The Florida Republican’s anger was triggered, as it were, by a Miami Heat announcer who spoke about 19 children murdered in Texas, then urged the audience to press lawmakers to pass gun-safety measures. Rubio ripped this as “politicizing a horrific tragedy” and posted the video:
Rubio kept tweeting. He hit the NBA over business interests in China and for running a voting rights group’s TV ad criticizing voter suppression.
Note that some in the audience cheered the suggestion that lawmakers pass gun-safety measures. This might be what really got Rubio angry: A private business exercised speech that might successfully get people politically engaged in opposition to the Republican position.
Twitter wasted no time trashing Rubio over this:
Rubio's comments sparked outrage from some users on Twitter who criticized the Florida Republican for his remarks, with one noting that Rubio has received $3.3 million in donations from the National Rifle Association (NRA).
"What a whiny man-baby Florida has for a U.S. senator. Rubio is threatened by a tribute to 19 slaughtered babies and their teachers? I bet he'd really hate it if you listened to the Miami Heat's call to action and turned out to vote," California Representative Eric Swalwell tweeted Thursday.
Rubio said in another tweet that since the NBA and the Miami Heat are "so committed to social justice and has pledged to 'speak the truth' when can we expect you to condemn the genocide of Uyghur Muslims being committed by your business partners in China?"
Meanwhile, radio show host Dean Obeidallah criticized Rubio's comments and called his donations from the NRA "blood money."
"To the GOP's Marco Rubio saving lives of our children from gun violence is called 'politicizing.' In reality: Rubio has received $3.3 million in National Rifle Association donations over his career. That's called BLOOD MONEY," Obeidallah said.
Another Twitter user wrote: "You are a worthless coward who doesn't give a s*** about Uyghurs. You know how I know that? Because you don't give a s*** about our own children. Exploiting a horrific genocide as a shield against calls for you to do your f****** job and protect our kids."
On Wednesday, CNN correspondent Manu Raju asked Rubio why there is no ban on AR-15 assault rifles. The senator responded, "The truth of the matter is these people are going to commit these horrifying crimes, whether they have to use another weapon to do it, they're going to figure out a way to do it."
Salvador Ramos, the accused shooter in the Uvalde shooting, purchased two AR-15 rifles legally a few days before the incident.
Rubio's comment on CNN drew criticism from Florida Representative Val Demings, who tweeted: "Marco Rubio is proving why his time in the Senate should be up. Over and over again, during the worst of times, he lacks the courage to stand up to the gun lobby. When he finally speaks up about the tragedy in Texas, he says this?"
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