CNN slams GOP for not appearing on network after mass shootings, conservatives fire back

CNN hosts and anchors on Monday called out GOP lawmakers for declining to appear on the network in the wake of two mass shootings that rocked the nation over the weekend, leading to a number of conservative commentators arguing that Republicans would not appear on the network because they would not get a fair shake.

The cable news network pointed to nearly 50 Republicans who declined interview requests following the shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that left more than 30 people dead and dozens of others injured.

{mosads}“I want to give credit where credit is due here,” anchor Jim Sciutto said Monday morning. “This broadcast, we reached out to 50 Republican lawmakers to speak about this issue today. Forty-nine of them said no. [Rep.] Ted Yoho [R-Fla.], a member of the House Freedom Caucus, he said yes.”

GOP lawmakers representing areas near the shootings, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas), Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), all reportedly declined to appear.

CNN also announced on Monday afternoon it will host a town hall event moderated by anchor Chris Cuomo called “America Under Assault” on Wednesday evening. 

CNN to host a @CuomoPrimeTime town hall, AMERICA UNDER ASSAULT: The Gun Crisis on Wed., Aug. 7 from 9-10pm ET led by @ChrisCuomo.

— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) August 5, 2019

Commentators and reporters from conservative brands fired back at the network on social media, with many referring to a CNN town hall event that was held just days after a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in January 2018. A number of conservative critics argued that event was unfair to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and then-NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch.  

That may have something to do with CNN’s long record of attempting to blame Republicans for mass shootings and cast them as disingenuous tools of the NRA. See, e.g., the egregiously awful Parkland Townhall. https://t.co/EBXGxhDneE

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 5, 2019

Can’t imagine why nobody wants to go on the show of the gun control hack responsible for the Parkland town hall circus where the corrupt coward sheriff who did nothing was treated as a hero, and @DLoesch was set up as the villain. Tapper is a clown. https://t.co/eFXri8tx8o

— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) August 4, 2019

CNN hosting another gun violence town hall.

You know, because the last one was totally fair and not at all a biased, one-sided ambush of @DLoesch. https://t.co/6y8TDuATHb

— Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) August 5, 2019

Perhaps one of the reasons none of the Republicans wanted to go on CNN is because CNN pulls stunts like this. https://t.co/2o25j8lKmu

— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) August 5, 2019

I’m sure this will be very fair, reasonable and unbiased https://t.co/BxIfBXJklJ

— Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) August 5, 2019

Man who hosted a CNN propaganda town hall event after a school shooting, which was used to demonize conservatives, doesn’t understand why conservatives won’t go on his show: https://t.co/1Yo0qxHCfv

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 4, 2019

It’s CNN’s right to behave as fringe partisans who play dirty tricks against GOP politicians and voters, but they probably shouldn’t pretend to be surprised that some GOP politicians are at long last getting wise to their little schtick and finding it unnecessary to play along. https://t.co/OKUCmK7HQT

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) August 5, 2019

Since the shootings over the weekend, Democrats have renewed the call for House-passed gun control legislation to be picked up and voted on in the Senate, even going so far as to ask Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to call the Senate back from the August recess that began this week.