In remarks at a technology conference in Brazil, former President Barack Obama misrepresented U.S. gun laws, claiming that “anybody can buy any weapon … without much, if any, regulation,” including “machine guns.”
Obama Misrepresents U.S. Gun Laws
Issues: gun control
Gillibrand Misleads on Trump’s Bump Stock Ban
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand claimed President Donald Trump failed to keep his promise after a mass shooting in Las Vegas to ban bump stocks. In fact, Trump has enacted a bump stock ban, which went into effect in March.
Fictional Feinstein Remark Gains Traction Again
A fabricated quotation about guns attributed to California Sen. Dianne Feinstein has circulated online for years and is again being shared by thousands on Facebook.
O’Rourke Wrong on Gun Control Stat
Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke advocated universal background checks for gun purchases, claiming that state laws mandating universal checks “have been shown to reduce gun violence by 50 percent.” But academic research doesn’t support that.
Social Posts Spin Harris’ Gun Control Proposal
Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democratic candidate for president, has not called for Americans to “surrender” their guns, as social media posts wrongly assert.
The Viral Spiral of 2018
A not-so-fond look back at the worst viral deceptions of the year.
Gun Control March Not Planned ‘Months’ Ago
Q: Was a permit application for the March for Our Lives rally filed “several months” before the event on March 24?
A: No. A Washington, D.C., police officer erroneously used that language in an email exchange. Officials say the permits were requested in late February.
David Hogg at School During Parkland Shooting
Q: Was David Hogg at home during the February school shooting in Florida?
A: No. Hogg recorded videos from inside the school during the shooting and a teacher confirmed that he was there at the time.
ATF Rulings on ‘Bump Stocks’
Q: Did the Obama administration legalize “bump stocks” for semiautomatic rifles?
A: No federal law explicitly addresses “bump stocks.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ruled 10 times between 2008 and 2017 that certain models could not be prohibited under existing gun laws.
Trump’s Misleading Gun Rhetoric
In a bipartisan meeting with members of Congress, President Donald Trump made false and misleading claims about his predecessors’ actions on gun control legislation and shootings in “gun-free zones.”