Team USA's Steve Kerr, Steph Curry Call For Tighter Gun Control In Wake of Trump Assassination Attempt
Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry sounded off on gun control at a time when political violence is the biggest threat to American democracy.
An unhinged 20-year-old man tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his rally Saturday evening.
The American public was gripped by overwhelming shock and despair in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on the former president. Trump narrowly escaped death as a bullet grazed his right ear, fired from less than 150 yards away.
BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Former President Donald Trump rushed offstage by U.S. Secret Service agents after being grazed by a bullet. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
NBA coach and ardent gun control advocate Steve Kerr reacted to the assassination attempt on Trump, speaking from Abu Dhabi on Sunday where Team USA men's basketball braces to take on Australia.
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Kerr expressed sorrow over the act of political violence but promoted his desire for tighter gun control in the same breath. The coach's focus shifted away from the actions of the mad man who shot at Trump, who killed a Trump supporter in the crowd on Saturday. The gunman was neutralized after firing multiple shots.
ABU DHABI, UAE - JULY 14: Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr of the Men's National Team talk during practice on July 14, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, The United Arab Emirates at tNYU Abu Dhabi. (Photo by Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images)
"This is a time where we feel very proud to represent our country wearing USA on our chest, competing in the Olympics," Kerr said on Sunday. "We've talked to the players about how important it is to show the best version of us as human beings to represent our country in a respectful, dignified manner. It makes you want to do that even more so, because this is really shameful for us to sit here and think about what happened and what's going on in our country."
Kerr framed the attempted assassination as the country's fault for permitting ownership of guns, rather than standing against the political fury driven up by members of his political party.
The coalition of liberals advocating for increased gun control, like Kerr, push to severely cripple a citizen's right to bear arms.
READ: Steve Kerr Politicizes School Shooting, Media Doesn’t Challenge Him; Clay Travis Weighs In
"It's such a demoralizing day for our country, and it's yet another example of not only our political division but also gun culture," Kerr added. "A 20-year-old with an AR-15 trying to shoot the former president. It's hard to process everything, and it's scary to think about where this goes because of the issues that already exist in the country. So this is a terrible day."
Fox News reported that the gun used by Crooks belonged to his father. When asked for a reaction, Crooks' father declined to share much, stating he was blindsided by his son's actions and possession of his weapon.
Longtime Golden State Warriors star and Kerr pupil Stephen Curry also reacted to the shocking news of the shooting with a message for tighter gun control.
"All the conversations around the election and the state of politics in our country, and then you have a situation like this, which just evokes a lot of emotions around things that we need to correct as a people," Curry said.
He added on Sunday, "Obviously, gun control first and foremost. Because the fact that that's even possible for somebody to have an attack like that. But just more so you just want positivity and hope. It sounds cheesy, but it's real. That's when our country's at its best, and it just adds another blemish to what's going on. Sad is just the word."
Saturday's assassination attempt proved to be a grim benchmark in American history.
With political violence on the rise, so does the ire among ardent members of political parties, escalating the conflict for gain rather than calling for unity on a dark day.
More athletes reacted to the news, with many of the non-basketball figures expressing tremendous support for Trump after being struck by the bullet.
From New York Jets' Sauce Gardner to U.S. Open champ Bryson DeChambeau, overwhelming support poured out for former President Trump, 78, as he prepares for a series of engagements leading into his speech on Thursday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
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