Podcaster Shawn Ryan pressed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California over the effects that background checks on firearms could have on combat veterans during an interview released Monday.
Newsom proposed a 28th amendment to the Constitution that would codify some of California’s state laws, including so-called “universal background checks” and a ban on certain semiautomatic firearms based on cosmetic features. Newsom appeared to awkwardly hold the gun after removing it from the case before claiming he had no “ideological” opposition to the Second Amendment during an early four-hour appearance on “The Shawn Ryan Show.”
“That is a California-compliant SIG-Sauer P365 Macro,” Ryan told Newsom, who responded, “Oh, wow. By the way, man, this is too cool, the fact you would give me this.”
“You like that?” Ryan asked, before Newsom jokingly claimed, “You just want the TSA to take this from me. I’m on to you, man.”
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California has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, including requiring a “safety certificate” to purchase handguns and a ban on certain semiautomatic firearms, according to the National Rifle Association.
“I got a buddy at SIG and he was like, you gotta get a SIG in his hands, brother,” Ryan said, with Newsom responding as he held the pistol, “This is fabulous. You know what, the last thing people would expect is that I respect this gift.”
“I’m not anti-gun at all,” Newsom claimed. “I’m for just some gun safety common sense that I think vast majority of folks to the right and the left agree. And I think we’ve lost a little touch with some common sense around background checks. I think there’s an age appropriateness. I do have some… you know, I’m challenged by large capacity magazine clips in urban centers, um, and uh, you know, weapons of war that are out there sometimes outgunning the police.”
Newsom admitted to being surprised by the “crazy” present.
“That’s crazy. The last damn thing I expected. I expected a hat, okay. You gave me a goddamn gun!” Newsom said, laughing.
Newsom defended California’s laws, claiming the state had a lower rate of gun deaths than red states. He unveiled a political action committee in 2023 to target “red states,” including Florida, on multiple issues, notably gun control and abortion.
“You look at our gun death rate from the ’90s [until] today, significant reduction, nation-leading reduction in the gun death rate. So that’s the prism to which… I’m into the data, I’m into the evidence,” Newsom said. “I’m also deeply mindful and respectful of the Second Amendment and people’s constitutional rights, but as it relates to just simple common sense around background, the idea we’re, we’re addressing the issue of background checks and we haven’t fundamentally addressed some of those gaps for people that are struggling with mental health disorders and the like or substance abuse, I just don’t understand that gap.”
Ryan pointed out that many veterans could be caught up in background checks, especially those diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“I carry a gun everywhere to protect myself and my family and … when I hear about the background checks and, you know, mentally unstable people, I mean you know a lot of veterans I mean almost all veterans are pro-gun and fought for the country and want to be able to own one to protect themselves and their family and especially you know if there’s any recourse from those wars, which you know we’ve talked about it on here, there’s supposedly over a thousand sleeper cells of terrorists within our borders,” Ryan stated.
“If we go down that road, I mean, I know for a lot of veterans, me included is, is you know some people have been diagnosed with PTSD and depression and shit like that from coming home from combat and so is it you know, maybe we start with schizophrenia but then the next thing is, oh, well, is PTS going to be on there? Is depression going to be on there?” Ryan added. “Am I going to lose my fucking rights, you know when I fought for the country because somebody, you know, that deems me unstable and maybe I’m not?”
Newsom signed SB2, which contains vast restrictions on where concealed weapons permit holders are allowed to carry firearms, into law on Sept. 26, 2023, calling the June 2022 ruling in Bruen “a perversion.” A federal judge blocked the law in December 2023, calling it “sweeping, repugnant to the Second Amendment and openly defiant of the Supreme Court.”
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