Uvalde school shooting: Schumer, 'Morning Joe' ripped over politicized responses to massacre
Ex-Rep. Joe Scarborough, R-Fla., called Lone Star officials 'freaks' in debate over the Texas school shooting
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In the wake of the Uvalde, Texas school shooting, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough were heavily criticized for their politically-charged responses.
On Thursday, Scarborough, a former Florida congressman, appeared to defend Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke's interruption of a news conference Wednesday by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and officials giving an update on the mass shooting.
Scarborough condemned Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin for calling the Democrat a "sick son of a b----," remarking that the "sick sons of b----es were the freaks on that stage" – which included McLaughlin, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Scarborough's co-host and wife Mika Brzezinski added to the former Florida lawmaker's condemnation, saying Texas officials "were getting ready… to meet with Wayne LaPierre this weekend" – as the National Rifle Association will be convening in Houston.
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Brzezinski and Scarborough (Bryan Bedder/Getty)
On the Senate floor, Schumer, D-N.Y. – who also blocked Reublican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson's request to unanimously pass a stalled school safety bill – fumed that Abbott is an "absolute fraud" and claimed "no amount of bloodshed seems to be enough for MAGA Republicans."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The panel on "The Five" condemned these comments, with co-host Jesse Watters arguing conservative commentators have been focused on "solutions" while left-wing officials and pundits have been focused on "attacking Republicans."
Co-host Greg Gutfeld remarked when a figure "doesn't have a solution, you go after a person."
"And that's what you always see with ‘Morning Blow,’" he said, referring to Scarborough's MSNBC program "Morning Joe."
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Schumer (Elizabeth Frantz/Pool-via-AP)
"They are quite possibly the dumbest people on television together…The problem with this discussion is that in a lot of political discussions, you're condemned If you have two thoughts in your head. You must have a single-variable thought. Right?"
Gutfeld explained it appears Democrats can only "scream [that] it's guns' [fault]" while Republicans may only focus on the perpetrator themself.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Actually, these variables can intersect," he said. "You can say the person responsible for this killing is that person, that fiend alone. But having that rifle made him more effective. Should we discuss that?"
A makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School, the site of a mass shooting (REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona)
He cited an idea from co-host Geraldo Rivera, where the minimum age to purchase a firearm is raised to the legal drinking age of 21.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don't see that as thoroughly irrational, especially if you put an expiration date on it – so you can compare three years or five years of it against something else," Gutfeld said.