CNN host Alisyn Camerota ripped Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) Thursday because he recently introduced a bill about Daylight Savings Time, suggesting it was poorly timed because of the gun violence debate.
Camerota made the remark on "New Day" while interviewing Rep. Ted Deutch (D., Fla.), who represents the district where the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting took place and is an advocate for stricter gun laws.
She made it clear with a leading question where she stood on the issue in a clip flagged by the pro-Rubio Twitter account, "The Reagan Battalion."
"Marco Rubio, who represents Florida and was there at our CNN town hall, he introduced a bill yesterday. It was about Daylight Savings Time. He wants to make it year round. Do you think that helps gun violence?" Camerota asked.
"I assume that's a rhetorical question," Deutch said, laughing.
"My point is things are being done in Congress, but they're not being done on this issue ... I just want you to explain why this would be his priority," Camerota said.
Deutch said he wouldn't debate the merits of that bill a month after the school massacre.
"It's crazy," he said. "Come on."
However, Rubio has been vocal on both legislative and non-legislative ways to prevent future shootings like the one in Parkland, Florida.
We need Gun Violence Restraining Orders that will give law enforcement and family members the option to obtain a court order to prevent gun sales or remove guns from individuals who pose a threat. pic.twitter.com/eXN3MPFcPt
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 8, 2018
On Thursday, he tweeted a clip of his Fox News interview regarding his support for gun violence restraining orders. This week, Rubio and fellow Florida Sen. Bill Nelson (D.) pushed the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act, which passed overwhelmingly in the House on Wednesday.
Gun violence restraining orders respect the 2nd Amendment, require due process and can also be an effective tool to prevent people like the Parkland shooter from obtaining weapons. pic.twitter.com/HDuCMPEJFd
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 15, 2018
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) also slammed Camerota for claiming there wasn't work being done on the issue.
This is a fairly alarming segment from @NewDay.
They must have missed ALL of this --> https://t.co/WrY5878c7fhttps://t.co/LOYRxY9ULX
— Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) March 15, 2018
"The Reagan Battalion" posted a video of various clips of Rubio addressing gun violence since the Parkland massacare, paired with the clip of Camerota suggesting he wasn't.
Watch this brazen attempt to mislead viewers by @CNN’s @NewDay host Alisyn Camerota, hailing @TedDeutch for the #StopSchoolViolenceAct, (the very bill that @MarcoRubio has been fighting for non stop for weeks) while criticizing Rubio for focusing on other priorities. pic.twitter.com/cvfdiEVw5f
— The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) March 15, 2018