Josh Earnest says Congress should close gun show loophole for good, answers NRA criticism

Following the president’s address on gun violence and the executive actions he intends to take to curtail it, it was left to Press Secretary Josh Earnest to bat cleanup with an afternoon Twitter Q&A session.

Ready to take your questions on #StopGunViolence so send my way using #AskPressSec, let's get started! pic.twitter.com/JD3LfADAgz

— J Earnest (Archived) (@PressSec44) January 5, 2016

The White House’s Twitter Q&As are usually pretty worthless affairs, and it’s no shocker that Earnest chose to answer a question from Everytown for Gun Safety, Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun group that worked with the administration to draft the president’s executive actions.

.@PressSec What are the top things Congress can do to keep guns out of dangerous hands? #AskPressSec

— Everytown (@Everytown) January 5, 2016

Congress? Who needs Congress when you have a pen and a phone?

@PressSec are you suggesting that we actually let the Legislative Branch of our government write the laws? #StopGunViolence #2A

— Adam Reeder (@MrAdamReeder) January 5, 2016

If Congress is going to do anything, it should close that gun show loophole once and for all.

@PressSec @WhiteHouse @Everytown Loophole?????

— Daryn Thorpe (@ocredzone73) January 5, 2016

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@PressSec @WhiteHouse @Everytown there is no gun show loophole, stop lying

— Jeffrey Maskrod (@j_maskrod) January 5, 2016

@PressSec How do you close something that doesn't exist?#StopGunViolence

— Torcer (@TorcerT) January 5, 2016

@PressSec @WhiteHouse There is no "gunshow loophole."

— Kevin Holamon (@kholamon) January 5, 2016

@PressSec we have any stats on injury or deaths due to Gun show loophole?

— SteveTretakis (@SteveTretakis) January 5, 2016

https://twitter.com/carlthompson427/status/684499313129603072

@PressSec there is no "gunshow loophole." Licensed dealers at gun shows MUST run the requisite FBI checks. But I'm guessing you know this

— Captain Smirk (@spacemanspiff76) January 5, 2016

@PressSec Are you really a robot programed to spit out liberal bullshit?

— The Trev (@TrevorPlemmons) January 5, 2016

While he had a captive Twitter audience, Earnest wanted to respond to criticism by the NRA.

Also, wanted to take this opportunity to answer @PeterAlexander who asked for response to critical statement from @NRA. #askpresssec

— J Earnest (Archived) (@PressSec44) January 5, 2016

I'm confident families of gun violence victims didn't find @POTUS's words or actions to keep guns out of the wrong hands "condescending".

— J Earnest (Archived) (@PressSec44) January 5, 2016

@PressSec @POTUS The Benghazi families found him a lot worse than "condescending" after he lied to them about the video.

— Rep. Steven Smith ?? (@RepStevenSmith) January 5, 2016

@PressSec @POTUS I am pretty sure the families of US Border agents kill by guns supplied by @POTUS and #AG Holder, did.

— thomas joseph (@notime61) January 5, 2016

https://twitter.com/bs_uncle/status/684499448186011648

https://twitter.com/dafactor1/status/684503434729537536