After More Mass Shootings, Biden Again Raises Possible Gun Ban

Following another streak of mass shootings, President Joe Biden again raised the possibility of banning certain guns.

Key Quotes: Allowing the purchase of semi-automatic weapons is "just sick. It has no social redeeming value, zero, none," Biden told reporters on Thanksgiving. When asked about possibly banning some guns, Biden said "I’m going to try to get rid of assault weapons."

For Context: Recent shootings in Colorado and Virginia pushed the debate about mass violence and guns back to the forefront, and Biden appears to be moving to pass legislation before Republicans take over the House of Representatives in January. The term "assault weapons" and the differences between guns are the focus of continued debate: semi-automatic guns fire one bullet for each pull of the trigger, while much more heavily-regulated fully-automatic guns fire bullets rapidly when the shooter holds the trigger down. 

How the Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum framed a gun ban as unlikely to pass due to a lack of votes and a packed lame-duck agenda. Some right-rated outlets highlighted Biden's remark about semi-automatic weapons, framing it as an exaggeration or an unjust critique of responsible gun owners. The Daily Wire said Biden "is going to try to curtail the Second Amendment freedoms of law-abiding Americans." Left-rated sources generally focused more on adding context about recent shootings.