CNN host Alisyn Camerota confronted National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch on Friday over her comments at CPAC claiming that many in the media “love” mass shootings.
“Dana, it’s just malicious, actually, that you would say that,” Camerota said. “I don’t know anybody in the media who likes mass shootings, you’re wrong on every single level. … How dare you?”
But Loesch defended her comments, saying the media loves the “ratings aspect of it.”
“It’s true because it’s wall-to-wall coverage. They put the murderer’s face up on loop, on televisions all across America, even more than they discuss the victims or survivors. That individual’s name has been mentioned and is still mentioned on your network,” Loesch said.
Loesch claimed that CNN has been equally “malicious” because it has allowed “accusations against me and millions of law abiding Americans to be indicted as child murders” to stand without correction.
“That NRA members are somehow complicit in this, you’ve allowed that to stand uncorrected on your network,” she said.
Camerota then suggested that the NRA actually “does bare some responsibility” for coming up with solutions to gun violence and said the group needs to “come to the table.”
“No, we absolutely do not. We’re parents too. We want to be able to make sure our kids are also safe,” Loesch said.
“Of course you do!” Camerota said. “You have a stake in this and you have to come up with solutions.”
Loesch then went on to repeat the NRA’s line blaming the FBI for failing to act on a tip about the alleged shooter and calling on politicians to force states to submit criminal records to the National Crime Information Center so that background checks work better. She also said the NRA is opposed to a Trump-supported proposal to increase the age for purchasing a rifle to 21 because when she was 20, she felt that she needed a rifle to protect herself.
The NRA has been heavily criticized in recent days from those in who support tightening gun laws after the latest mass shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 people dead.
Watch a clip of the interview below:
