Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Hillary Clinton Lies (Again), Says Washington Post

Friday, April 15, 2016

Hillary Clinton Lies (Again), Says Washington Post

On Tuesday, the Washington Post’s fact checkers gave Hillary Clinton “Three Pinocchios” for blaming Vermont’s gun laws, which are like those of most states, for crimes that take place in New York. Clinton’s on-going smear campaign is intended to tarnish the reputation of her competitor for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Vermont’s junior U.S. senator, Bernie Sanders. Clinton is resorting to her dishonest attack because lying is her most highly refined political reflex, and, perhaps partially for that reason, Sanders has defeated her in seven of the last eight state caucuses and primaries.

As we noted in last week’s Alert, Clinton’s claim about Vermont is absurd, because ATF firearm tracing data show that less than one percent of guns recovered by police in New York were first sold at retail in Vermont, the average time between those sales and the recovery of those relatively few guns in New York is 15 years, the few guns in question may have entered New York lawfully for any number of reasons, and Sanders, as a national officeholder, does not vote on state laws.

After Clinton was widely rebuked for her accusation, she tried to wiggle out of it by claiming that she meant to say that Vermont accounted for the most guns ending up in New York, relative to Vermont’s population. But, as the Post explains, the relatively small population of Vermont is irrelevant; to the extent that anything could be gleaned from ATF’s firearm tracing data, the only thing that would count is the number of guns coming from a state. Therefore, the newspaper notes, “ATF (correctly) calculates gun trafficking data by raw figures, not per capita.”

However, ATF tracing data have limitations. As the agency notes in its tracing reports, “[n]ot all firearms used in crime are traced and not all firearms traced are used in crime. . . . The firearms selected [for tracing] do not constitute a random sample and should not be considered representative of the larger universe of all firearms used by criminals, or any subset of that universe.”

The Post may have failed to recognize another deception Clinton attempted on the same subject. “It’s easy to cross borders,” Clinton told a tiny group of supporters in New York. “Domestic abusers, traffickers, people who are dangerously mentally ill, they cross borders too. And sometimes they do it, to get the guns they use.”

There are two problems with Clinton’s contention. First, in asserting that people from New York (population 20 million) are going to Vermont (population 630,000) to acquire guns, Clinton contradicts her claim that the Vermont-origin guns should be calculated against that state’s relatively small population. Second, federal law prohibits the sale of any firearm by a non-dealer resident of one state (in Clinton’s hypothesis, New York) to a person who resides in another state (in Clinton’s hypothesis, Vermont), it prohibits a dealer in one state from selling a handgun to a resident of another state, and it prohibits a dealer in one state from selling a rifle or shotgun to a resident of another state unless the sale complies with the laws of the dealer’s and the buyer’s states.

Clinton’s claim about Vermont (and Sanders) is just another in an ever-lengthening list of lies she has been telling for the sake of achieving political power. Clinton didn’t land in Bosnia under sniper fire. She wasn’t named for Sir Edmund Hillary. The U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi wasn’t attacked because of a low-budget video. The number of American deaths from that attack was four, not zero. Sen. Sanders has never voted to give the firearm industry “blanket immunity” from lawsuits; indeed, no such “blanket immunity” exists. And Vermont and Bernie Sanders aren’t responsible for what New York’s criminals do.

Sen. Sanders, taking great pains to put things mildly, now accuses Clinton of a “credibility gap” on the gun issue. To the extent that Democrat voters share his accurate assessment, Clinton will have the troubles she deserves in the days ahead.

TRENDING NOW
United Nation’s Attack on Ammunition Formally Begins

News  

Monday, July 7, 2025

United Nation’s Attack on Ammunition Formally Begins

The recently concluded negotiations on the United Nations’ Global Framework on Through-Life Conventional Ammunition Management (Framework) should be of grave concern to anyone who values the constitutional protections afforded by the Second Amendment. 

U.K. Embarks on Fresh Knife Amnesty, Reminds Americans Why 1776 was a Good Idea

News  

Monday, July 7, 2025

U.K. Embarks on Fresh Knife Amnesty, Reminds Americans Why 1776 was a Good Idea

It has been a while since we’ve looked at weapon news from across the pond, but with Americans everywhere having just celebrated the Glorious Fourth and our independence from British monarchy, the timing seems particular ...

NRA and 2A Allies Announce NFA Lawsuit

Monday, July 7, 2025

NRA and 2A Allies Announce NFA Lawsuit

Following the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill”—which eliminates the National Firearms Act of 1934’s (NFA) excise tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and AOWs—the National Rifle Association issued a joint statement along with the ...

President Trump Signs the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into Law

News  

Friday, July 4, 2025

President Trump Signs the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into Law

Earlier today, on the 4th of July, a day on which our Founding Fathers declared their intent for a free nation, the President of the United State of America, Donald Trump, signed the “One Big ...

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

News  

Second Amendment  

Thursday, May 22, 2025

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.1 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act, completely removing suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA).

Congress Passes the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Now Headed to President Trump

News  

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Congress Passes the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Now Headed to President Trump

Earlier today the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” This bill contained a provision that would, among other things, eliminate the burdensome $200 excise tax imposed by federal law on suppressors, short-barreled firearms, ...

Maine: Public University Professor Belittles Student for 2A and Religious Views

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Maine: Public University Professor Belittles Student for 2A and Religious Views

Maine's public education system has recently faced national scrutiny, and it appears things are only getting worse, not better, in the Pine Tree State. 

Progress in the Fight to Protect the Firearms Industry and Gun Owners from Financial Discrimination

News  

Monday, July 7, 2025

Progress in the Fight to Protect the Firearms Industry and Gun Owners from Financial Discrimination

In June, the American firearms industry lodged a resounding victory against attempts by gun control advocates to put it out of business with frivolous lawsuits when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its 9-0 ruling in Smith & Wesson ...

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY, NORRIS N. JERNIGAN!

Take Action  

Monday, July 7, 2025

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY, NORRIS N. JERNIGAN!

As we celebrate this remarkable milestone for this remarkable man, we honor the life and legacy of Norris N. Jernigan, a World War II veteran who served in the intelligence office with the 393rd Bomb Squadron of the ...

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

In case you missed the media firestorm last week, a progressive professor at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, Maine, has come under fire for her emails belittling a student for her religious beliefs and views ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.