MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace and New York Times columnist Bret Stephens called the Second Amendment a "so-called" right on Thursday.
The comments about the Second Amendment by Wallace, former White House communications director to President George W. Bush, and Stephens, hired by the Times last year as a conservative Op-Ed columnist, were first picked up by Newsbusters.
Stephens was participating in a gun control discussion with other guests on Wallace's show when the host first criticized Second Amendment supporters, saying they didn't care about the victims of the shooting in Parkland, Fla.
"Bret, I think one of the other things that are different is the arguments on the other side [those against gun control] used to be civilized, and now they're repugnant," Wallace said.
Stephens said gun advocates didn't offer any sign of compassion after the shooting despite many gun advocates also being criticized by gun control supporters for offering prayers. While offering prayers may be seen as a sign of compassion to many, many gun control supporters argued prayers and thoughts were inconsequential. He went on to refer to the Second Amendment a "so-called liberty" even though it's in the Bill of Rights.
"Well, there doesn't seem to be even a moment of silence and compassion and thoughtfulness on the part of gun advocates for what has happened," Stephens said. "There's something kind of aggressively and inhumanly repetitive about this line that guns are essential to American liberties. Hard one to stomach when so many thousands of people are dying every year for this so-called liberty."
Later, Wallace too called the Second Amendment a "so-called right."