Katy Tur Says GOP Legislators Are Blaming ‘Evil’ and ‘Demon Possession’ Instead of Talking Gun Control

MSNBC’s Katy Tur said Wednesday that Republicans are blaming a host of problems including “evil” and even “demon possession” for mass shootings instead of taking up gun control legislation.

On the latest Katy Tur Reports the anchor played clips of GOP lawmakers who invoked the dark side as causes shooting tragedies.

“There will be a time to talk about the legislation and the budget proposals that we brought forth even this year, but on this day, after the tragedy, I want to speak to that which rises above all else. The struggle is against evil itself,” said Tennessee’s Republican Governor Bill Lee.

“We pass laws, and then they really have no effect. You got to deal with what’s at the heart of this, it’s evil. Some people would say demon possession,” said Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN).

Still others blamed the “mental health crisis” or just said it was “premature to discuss legislation.”

“I guess the way some of the answers came out, like, “no, I don’t think there’s any room,”— there’s like no feeling, no connection. I don’t know what’s in that person’s head,” Tur said. “The feeling that comes from the words doesn’t seem to connect to the fact that three kids just died.”

Tur expressed dismay that Monday’s shooting that killed six at a private Christian school in Tennessee wasn’t enough to push gun reform forward.

Republican lawmakers say they aren’t ready to talk about gun legislation or that there’s no room for it at all after three kids and three teachers were killed at a school in Tennessee on Monday. The three nine-year-old victims now bring the total number of kids killed by guns in this country this year to 413, that’s according to the gun violence archives, and again, it’s only March.

Tur then called out the “new set of terms” being used by Republicans, including “‘fighting evil” and “evil itself.”

“Has that replaced ‘thoughts and prayers?’ Is that the new line from Republicans House lawmakers at least?” she asked.

Watch the MSNBC clip above.

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