PolitiFact.com
Statements about Guns
Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

Half Flip

In his current rhetoric, no sign of earlier support for restrictions

On gun policy

Craig James

Craig James

Pants on Fire!

Firing blanks

"Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are negotiating with the United Nations about doing a treaty that will ban the use of firearms."

Frank Lautenberg

Frank Lautenberg

True

Unless states restrict it

Says "in our gun laws we’re allowing domestic abusers to sidestep this ban on getting a gun. The loophole allows a convicted abuser to walk into a gun show and walk out with a gun, no questions asked."

Ted Nugent

Ted Nugent

Half-True

"Fundamental" is right

"We’ve got four Supreme Court justices who … signed their name to a declaration that Americans have no fundamental right to self-defense."  

Joe Biden

Joe Biden

Half-True

In fatal shootings, which include suicides

"The bulk of the people who are shot with a weapon — other than these drug gangs taking on one another — end up being shot with their own weapon."

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

False

It's not that easy

The Florida Department of Agriculture’s website FreshFromFlorida.com can be used "to get a permit to carry a loaded hidden gun without ever leaving your house."

Christopher L. Smith

Christopher L. Smith

Half-True

Justifiable homicides tripled but the reasons require more analysis

Since Florida passed the "stand your ground" law in 2005, deaths due to self-defense have jumped over 250 percent.

Edward Flynn

Edward Flynn

Half-True

Study doesn't fully back claim

Says 85 percent of Milwaukee shootings involve "people with extensive criminal records shooting other people with extensive criminal records."

Glenford Shibley

Glenford Shibley

Mostly True

Not quite a bull's-eye.

"Rhode Island is the only state where officers at state-supported [colleges] carry out their duties unarmed."

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum

True

Old but accurate

Says Mitt Romney said he does not "line up with the NRA."

Janet Howell

Janet Howell

Half-True

Some truth is a "rhetorical slur"

"It’s going to be harder to vote in Virginia than it is now to buy a gun..."

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich

False

This claim is a lemon

"You can’t put a gun rack in a [Chevrolet] Volt."  

Wayne LaPierre

Wayne LaPierre

Mostly False

Not much ammo for this claim

Says Barack Obama "endorsed a total ban on the manufacture, sale and possession of all handguns."

Jim Moran

Jim Moran

Mostly True

Numbers are outdated, but close

"The U.S. gun homicide rate is 20 times the combined rate of other western nations."

Eddie Lucio, Jr.

Eddie Lucio, Jr.

Mostly True

But: Airsoft guns federally regulated

Says Texas does not regulate the appearance of some kinds of imitation firearms sold in Texas.

Bill Pascrell

Bill Pascrell

Half-True

Hold your fire

"We haven't had any legislation which took away one gun in the past 20 years from anybody in this country--not one." 

David Dewhurst

David Dewhurst

False

Guns were there, but ballistics report inconclusive

"Ballistic tests have confirmed that the death of at least one U.S. Border Patrol agent was caused by" weapons that were part of a federal arms trafficking operation.

David Cicilline

David Cicilline

Half-True

Exaggerated to make a point

Enacting the Right-to-Carry Act would amount to "expanding the rights of sex offenders, terrorists, child predators, and abusers to carry concealed weapons across state lines.’’

Democratic National Committee

Democratic National Committee

Half-True

Ad uses selective editing, but there's some truth to charge

Says Mitt Romney flip-flopped on an assault weapons ban.

Donna Seidel

Donna Seidel

True

Law is firing blanks

A Republican-led softening of firearms training rules means that "untrained individuals" would be allowed to carry guns with a state permit.  

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