House Minority Leader Accuses ‘Extreme MAGA Republicans’ of ‘Hiding’ Stance on Gun Control

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) answers questions during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 12, 2023. Win McNamee/Getty Images

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) accused “extreme MAGA” House Republicans of “hiding” their position on gun control on March 30, challenging them to bring related legislation to the House floor.

“We have a gun violence epidemic in America that is unacceptable, unconscionable, and un-American,” Jeffries asserted at his weekly press briefing. “Children being slaughtered in schools becoming a way of life in the United States of America—that can’t be. It’s time that this Congress put kids over guns.”

The Democrat added: “House Democrats believe that weapons of war—which are not used to hunt deer but are used to hunt human beings and slaughter innocent children—do not belong in our communities across this country. If Republicans have a different view, then air that out on the House floor in front of the American people. We’re confident in our position; stop hiding your position, and let’s debate this issue of gun safety in front of the American people.”

Nashville Shooting

Jeffries’ remarks came three days after six people—including three children—were killed in a mass shooting at The Covenant School, a private Christian elementary school in Nashville.

The shooting, according to local law enforcement, was a targeted attack carried out by 28-year-old Audrey Hale, a woman who identified as a transgender male.

But despite Jeffries’ claims of Republican silence, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was rather candid on Wednesday about her views on the shooting and the role of guns in school safety.

Responding to comments from Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Greene asked: “You want to know why the shooter is dead in Nashville—the trans shooter? You want to know why? Because a good guy with a gun killed that woman. … So, if you want to have a good talk about schools and protecting children, we need to talk about protecting our children the same way we protect our president, we protect our celebrities, we protect this building.”

Meanwhile, when asked by reporters about potential gun control legislation on Thursday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) noted: “It’s not just legislation that solves these problems. As a nation, we’re going to have to come together.”

The Republican added that there have been instances in the past where law enforcement had ignored warnings that an individual might pose a danger to others, and then that individual went on to commit a mass shooting.

“We don’t want to miss opportunities to stop what just happened, and we’ll do our job,” he said.

Warning Signs

After Monday’s shooting, a former classmate came forward to say that Hale had contacted her via Instagram to share that she was “planning to die” that day and that “something bad is about to happen.”

“I tried to comfort and encourage her and subsequently reached out to the Suicide Prevention Help Line after being instructed to by my father at 10:08 am,” said Averianna Patton, who used to play basketball with Audrey. “Audrey has shared with others that she had been suicidal in the past and I knew to take this serious.”

Patton said she also contacted the Nashville Davidson County Sheriff’s Office to alert them of Hale’s situation but was told to dial the non-emergency number.

According to Nashville Police Chief John Drake, Hale was being treated for an “emotional disorder” and her parents were unaware that she had seven firearms in her possession. He also advised that, despite Hale’s personal history of suicidal thoughts, she was not on the police department’s radar.

Hale reportedly left behind a manifesto detailing her motivations for the crime.

That manifesto, according to Nashville Councilman Robert Swope, “is going to be released” at some point, though as the writings are part of an open investigation, the Nashville Police Department stressed on Thursday that it is currently unknown “when or if it will be released.”