Hillary Clinton compares gun rights activists to 'the Iranians or the communists'

On the campaign trail in Iowa on Wednesday, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton compared the National Rifle Association (NRA), the most prominent gun rights advocacy group in America, to "the Iranians or the communists."

"Now the real answer to [the problem of gun violence] is for gun owners to form a different organization that supports the Second Amendment — that supports their rights to own guns, use guns, go hunting, go target shooting — but stands against the absolutism of the NRA. You know, the NRA's position reminds me of negotiating with the Iranians or the communists. You know, there's no possible discussion."

Clinton also argued in Wednesday's talk that the NRA dupes some gun owners into being "really upset all the time so they can keep collecting their money." Aside from the obvious potential for offense to gun owners, Clinton's comparison is dubious in light of the many compromises made by the Iranian government in the recent nuclear deal.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Clinton's comments begin at the 29:33 mark in the video below. Bonnie Kristian