Mike Lee Hammers Biden ATF Nominee’s ‘Utterly Condescending Attitude’ Toward First Time Gun Owners

LEE I d like ░░░░░░░░ start with you I ░░░░░░░░ Sen Cornyn referred briefly ░░░░░░░░ a statement that I ░░░░░░░░ found concerning a statement ░░░░░░░░ you posted on Reddit ░░░░░░░░ in 2019 when you ░░░░░░░░ While at ATF I ░░░░░░░░ studies involving people who ░░░░░░░░ background checks to determine ░░░░░░░░ many later committed crimes ░░░░░░░░ a gun Many did ░░░░░░░░ is a perfect opportunity ░░░░░░░░ arrest people before committing ░░░░░░░░ rather than responding after ░░░░░░░░ fact I find this ░░░░░░░░ very troubling especially troubling ░░░░░░░░ someone who s been ░░░░░░░░ to serve as the ░░░░░░░░ Director because even setting ░░░░░░░░ the Second Amendment even ░░░░░░░░ you get to the ░░░░░░░░ Amendment this violates our ░░░░░░░░ fundamental rules of due ░░░░░░░░ Talking about a desire ░░░░░░░░ arrest people before committing ░░░░░░░░ rather than after the ░░░░░░░░ It s not our ░░░░░░░░ justice system works And ░░░░░░░░ that s how you ░░░░░░░░ people that is concerning ░░░░░░░░ me Now this is ░░░░░░░░ by other comments you ░░░░░░░░ made that to me ░░░░░░░░ a certain degree of ░░░░░░░░ toward gun owners and ░░░░░░░░ particular new gun owners ░░░░░░░░ April 3rd of 2020 ░░░░░░░░ over a year ago ░░░░░░░░ gave an interview with ░░░░░░░░ News and you were ░░░░░░░░ about increases in gun ░░░░░░░░ especially first time gun ░░░░░░░░ who had decided to ░░░░░░░░ a gun for the ░░░░░░░░ time during the pandemic ░░░░░░░░ the interview you openly ░░░░░░░░ first time gun owners ░░░░░░░░ that they were quote ░░░░░░░░ like Tiger King and ░░░░░░░░ advising them in quite ░░░░░░░░ mockery to hide their ░░░░░░░░ quote behind the cans ░░░░░░░░ tuna and beef jerky ░░░░░░░░ have stored in a ░░░░░░░░ and only bring that ░░░░░░░░ if the zombies start ░░░░░░░░ appear close quote When ░░░░░░░░ first saw this I ░░░░░░░░ the clip and I ░░░░░░░░ the clip several times ░░░░░░░░ that I was missing ░░░░░░░░ hoping that there was ░░░░░░░░ else there that would ░░░░░░░░ this less troubling It ░░░░░░░░ me that you as ░░░░░░░░ nominated to be the ░░░░░░░░ of the ATF would ░░░░░░░░ such a flippant and ░░░░░░░░ I may say so ░░░░░░░░ condescending attitude toward first ░░░░░░░░ gun owners in this ░░░░░░░░ I say this is ░░░░░░░░ former federal prosecutor one ░░░░░░░░ worked with ATF agents ░░░░░░░░ agents from many other ░░░░░░░░ This is a troubling ░░░░░░░░ attitude for somebody s ░░░░░░░░ going to head this ░░░░░░░░ Now you may find ░░░░░░░░ interesting to learn that ░░░░░░░░ survey of federal firearms ░░░░░░░░ conducted by The National ░░░░░░░░ Sports Foundation shows that ░░░░░░░░ supported the highest average ░░░░░░░░ increase in sales to ░░░░░░░░ Americans during the first ░░░░░░░░ of 2020 with large ░░░░░░░░ also to women and ░░░░░░░░ Hispanic Americans and Asian ░░░░░░░░ as well So why ░░░░░░░░ you chose to insult ░░░░░░░░ many of your fellow ░░░░░░░░ with a statement like ░░░░░░░░ based on the fact ░░░░░░░░ they purchased a gun ░░░░░░░░ Senator I thank you ░░░░░░░░ allowing me the opportunity ░░░░░░░░ address both of these ░░░░░░░░ that I believe were ░░░░░░░░ and taken out of ░░░░░░░░ I ll start with ░░░░░░░░ first When I was ░░░░░░░░ about the prosecution of ░░░░░░░░ who had lied and ░░░░░░░░ to buy a gun ░░░░░░░░ those people who lie ░░░░░░░░ try have committed a ░░░░░░░░ federal felony And what ░░░░░░░░ suggested is if we ░░░░░░░░ research we could determine ░░░░░░░░ of those people were ░░░░░░░░ likely to later commit ░░░░░░░░ violent crime And I ░░░░░░░░ believe it would be ░░░░░░░░ s mission that of ░░░░░░░░ to prosecute those people ░░░░░░░░ committed a serious federal ░░░░░░░░ before you know striking ░░░░░░░░ and killing someone With ░░░░░░░░ to the other quote ░░░░░░░░ ll just say LEE ░░░░░░░░ you saying that you ░░░░░░░░ you in fact meant ░░░░░░░░ before committing other crimes ░░░░░░░░ after committing a predicate ░░░░░░░░ Is that what you ░░░░░░░░ telling me that you ░░░░░░░░ when you said This ░░░░░░░░ a perfect opportunity to ░░░░░░░░ people before committing crimes ░░░░░░░░ than responding after the ░░░░░░░░ Is that what you ░░░░░░░░ CHIPMAN Senator thank you ░░░░░░░░ the question and thank ░░░░░░░░ for the opportunity to ░░░░░░░░ What I said was ░░░░░░░░ I think that in ░░░░░░░░ circumstances it is absolutely ░░░░░░░░ mission of ATF to ░░░░░░░░ people for lying on ░░░░░░░░ federal firearms form a ░░░░░░░░ year felony LEE Right ░░░░░░░░ that s a crime ░░░░░░░░ is a crime CHIPMAN ░░░░░░░░ it s the one ░░░░░░░░ was speaking about in ░░░░░░░░ quote that you were ░░░░░░░░ sir LEE Okay but ░░░░░░░░ said before committing crimes ░░░░░░░░ Before committing an additional ░░░░░░░░ crime which is something ░░░░░░░░ was seeing at ATF ░░░░░░░░ people would lie and ░░░░░░░░ and then go through ░░░░░░░░ means acquire a gun ░░░░░░░░ hurt someone LEE Okay ░░░░░░░░ that that statement was ░░░░░░░░ of in invisible brackets ░░░░░░░░ that what you mean ░░░░░░░░ is that just what ░░░░░░░░ re saying that you ░░░░░░░░ CHIPMAN At the time ░░░░░░░░ did my best to ░░░░░░░░ And clearly as exampled ░░░░░░░░ I felt short I ░░░░░░░░ try to do better ░░░░░░░░ Okay how about the ░░░░░░░░ statement CHIPMAN With regards ░░░░░░░░ the comments that I ░░░░░░░░ on Cheddar that was ░░░░░░░░ lengthy interview What I ░░░░░░░░ trying to use is ░░░░░░░░ depreciating humor The person ░░░░░░░░ had a gun stored ░░░░░░░░ his tuna and beef ░░░░░░░░ was me and I ░░░░░░░░ saying that all of ░░░░░░░░ were acting in new ░░░░░░░░ as a response to ░░░░░░░░ and I thought that ░░░░░░░░ should be very clear ░░░░░░░░ when they bring a ░░░░░░░░ in their home they ░░░░░░░░ to be properly trained ░░░░░░░░ again we have oftentimes ░░░░░░░░ ability to talk to ░░░░░░░░ media Sometimes that s ░░░░░░░░ out of context and ░░░░░░░░ m sorry for any ░░░░░░░░ I made when I ░░░░░░░░ trying to point out ░░░░░░░░ fact that sometimes bringing ░░░░░░░░ gun into your home ░░░░░░░░ you re untrained is ░░░░░░░░ particularly dangerous thing to ░░░░░░░░