Republican Rep. Sean Duffy (Wis.) said on Tuesday that implementing certain new gun control laws can become a slippery slope where the regulations never stop, noting that some on the left want to "eradicate the Second Amendment."
CNN’s "New Day" co-host Chris Cuomo brought in Duffy to talk about guns and what actions will be taken on gun reform following the shooting at a church in Texas on Sunday.
The discussion between Cuomo and Duffy heated up when it became clear their opinions differed on how to stop mass shootings like the one in Sutherland Springs, Texas from happening in the first place.
Cuomo, who said he owns a gun himself, argued loopholes in gun laws are the real issue because citizens can buy guns at gun shows and through private transactions without going through the same vetting process and level of background checks.
"Over 20 percent of all gun sales are done without background checks, congressman," Cuomo said. "And it’s because you have loopholes in effect."
"I’m okay with background checks," Duffy said, but added that Cuomo's assessment was not entirely accurate, noting that private transactions often require a background check or need to be on the books in the same way. He said there are some instances, such as gifting a gun to family members, when that same process would be intrusive.
"If I want to give my gun to my son or if I want to sell a firearm to a neighbor or a friend, I think it’s pretty intrusive," Duffy said.
The CNN daytime host challenged Duffy's assessment, asking what if that person was "deranged" and had the intention of going out and using that gun to shoot people.
The congressman from Wisconsin, under the impression Cuomo was trying to equate the Texas gunman’s ability to obtain a gun to those who buy guns through the so-called loopholes, fought back.
"That’s not the case here … This is not to you, but I think even Nancy Pelosi said these are slippery slopes," Duffy said, referring to the Democratic House Minority Leader from California. "And I think the left– when will they stop? So if you have great background checks, will they stop then? Or if they can take away certain firearms, will they stop then? I don’t think this will ever stop. I think they want to eradicate the Second Amendment."
"Saying that every gun sale should require a background check, how is that not a reasonable step?" Cuomo questioned.
"This morning, I think we should be focusing on– we have laws that work, the laws weren’t followed. This shooter, this evil man in Texas, wouldn’t have had a gun had the Air Force followed the law," Duffy said.
"There was a problem, unless he went to a gun show and did a private sale, he could have gotten it that way," Cuomo shot back.
"But he didn’t, he didn’t go to a gun show, and should have been flagged and he shouldn’t have bought a gun" Duffy said. "And we have to look at– instead of saying, ‘what new laws do we need on the books,’ why don’t we look and say, ‘what laws do we have that aren’t being followed that would actually prevent these kind of crimes.'"
Cuomo argued that loopholes subverting background checks was one of the laws in place that was not being followed correctly.
"There was no loophole here," Duffy said, resisting Cuomo's attempt to turn the conversation about the issue at hand in the Texas shooting and focus on a leftist gun control agenda.
"You might have facts that I don’t, but I don’t know of a recent shooting where you had a deranged individual who got a firearm from his neighbor and went and shot up a bar or a church, I don’t recall it off the top of my head," Duffy said.