President Joe Biden came to the White House on Memorial Day after paying respect to the victims of the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas. The Democrat made a misleading assertion about the Second Amendment.
‘The Second Amendment was never absolute,’ Biden, 79, told the assembled reporters on the South Lawn.
When the Second Amendment was passed, you couldn’t buy a cannon, and you couldn’t buy a lot of weapons.’
The president stated that there was a moment in the United States when people believed the Second Amendment was too restrictive and that they should have access to fighter jets and tanks.
Biden said ‘not many’ say that anymore because ‘things have gotten so bad that everybody is getting more rational about it. At least that’s my hope and prayer.’
Biden’s remarks came after a weekend of soaring gun violence in which 26 people have died and dozens have been left injured across America.
Philadelphia, Chicago and Maryland saw the worst of the shootings with 17 fatally shot, including eight in Pennsylvania’s largest city and 21 injured in the Windy City
The president’s assertion that you could not buy a cannon at the time the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791 is false, numerous historical scholars have maintained.
There was no specific ban on ownership of any weapon when the amendment was ratified.
In fact, civilians could apply for a waiver to own ship that carried cannons during wartime.
Biden made reference to buying a cannon during his 2020 presidential campaign in May of that year when he said: ‘From the very beginning you weren’t allowed to have certain weapons. You weren’t allowed to own a cannon during the Revolutionary War as an individual.’
Again there is no evidence to back up this claim, University of Pennsylvania Kermit Roosevelt told Politifact at the time.
During his first year in office, in June 2021, Biden again said: ‘The Second Amendment, from the day it was passed, limited the type of people who could own a gun and what type of weapon you could own. You couldn’t buy a cannon.’
At that time, the research director at the Independence Institute told the Washington Post: ‘Everything in that statement is wrong. There were no federal laws about the type of gun you could own, and no states limited the kind of gun you could own.’
The Post article gave Biden’s remarks ‘Four Pinocchios.’
At a gun violence prevention task force meeting in New York City in February 2022, Biden said: ‘You couldn’t buy a cannon when this amendment was passed… so no reason why you should be able to buy certain assault weapons.’
In April 2022, Biden made a similar statement saying: ‘From the very beginning, the Second Amendment didn’t say you can own any gun you want, big as you want. You couldn’t buy a cannon when, in fact, the Second Amendment passed.’
In the immediate aftermath of the Robb Elementary School shooting, Biden said in remarks at the White House: ‘The Second Amendment’s not absolute.
‘When it was passed you couldn’t own a cannon, you couldn’t own certain weapons. There’s always been limitations.’
Following Biden’s remarks today, Fox News’ Jonathan Turley said in an appearance on ‘Fox News Live’ that the president was ‘undermining his own case by repeating what is ironically disinformation.’
During the brief question and answer session, Biden said that he has not negotiated with any Republican leaders yet on possible gun reform laws.
The president said that he deliberately did not engage with any Republicans while he was in Uvalde mourning the loss of 19 children and two teachers who were killed by crazed gunman Salvador Ramos, 18, on May 24.
Authorities said that Ramos legally purchased the AR-15 style rifle he used in the attack shortly after his 18 birthday.
Biden told the press on Memorial Day: ‘It makes no sense to be able to purchase something that can fire up to 300 rounds. There’s only one reason to buy a gun that can fire 100 rounds.’
It has been widely reported that a bipartisan group of senators met over the holiday week to speak tentatively about a compromise on gun reform laws.
The president said of his limited power on gun control: ‘I can’t outlaw a weapon.’