Dan Crenshaw and AOC Are Feuding After He Tweeted About Lending His Friends Guns

By Rafi Schwartz  |  September 4, 2019 | 3:57pm
Congress

While the overwhelming majority of Americans favor common sense gun legislation such as instituting universal background checks before someone can own a firearm, Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw has a problem with that idea—namely, that it would stop him from lending out pistols to his friends.

On Tuesday evening, Crenshaw, a noted gun enthusiast who enjoys hearty backing from the NRA, shared a news story about Houston resident Lachelle Hudgins, who shot a suspected robber she said was reaching for her purse, writing on Twitter that: “With universal background checks, I wouldn’t be able to let my friends borrow my handgun when they travel alone like this.”

Crenshaw did not expand on to whom, and under what circumstances, he’s apparently handed out guns. (I reached out to Crenshaw’s office for comment and to ask just how often the congressman loans his firearms and will update this story if they respond.)

In the meantime, Crenshaw’s assertion that letting friends borrow his guns is a good thing drew the attention of New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who responded to Crenshaw’s tweet by asking the obvious question: “Why are you ‘lending’ guns to people unsupervised who can’t pass a basic background check?”

While AOC’s claim that the recipients of Crenshaw’s benevolent gun lending program have “likely” abused their spouse or committed violent crimes is certainly suspect, she’s correct in noting that domestic violence is one of the most common factors in gun violence in America, and federal law barring abusers from owning firearms is rife with easily exploited loopholes.

Crenshaw has yet to publicly respond to AOC’s criticism, although I’m sure a huffy defense is forthcoming.

Update, 1:17 p.m. ET: Like clockwork, Crenshaw and AOC have begun to mix it up on Twitter.

 
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