Watch: Scarborough Drops Biggest Lie Of Gun Control Narrative With M16 Statement
Joe Scarborough repeated on “Morning Joe” that the AR-15 used by the Parkland shooter is “more lethal than the M-16,” essentially lying straight to his viewers.
Although people could argue the guns are relatively the same, there is one big difference between the two.
The main difference between the AR-15, or ArmaLite Rifle 15, and the military’s M-16 is the ability for the M-16 to be automatic, which means it can fire several rounds after the trigger is pulled, the Washington Post reported.
The AR-15, the M-16’s civilian counterpart, is semiautomatic and the user has to pull the trigger each time he wants to fire a shot.
In other words, the M-16 would be more lethal than an AR-15 because it could be switched to operating automatically.
This is not the first time that Scarborough has made false claims on the air.
Earlier this month, the MSNBC host admitted that he made a factual error when he said that Dwight D. Eisenhower didn’t have military parades as his dismissal of President Donald Trump’s reported plan to hold a military parade, Mediaite reported.
NewsBusters pointed out another instance in June 2017, where Scarborough lied to support his claim that Republicans were lying.
Scarborough reportedly attacked the “cuts” to Medicaid saying that it would destroy “health care in Trump America.” In reality, the Republican health care bill would increase Medicaid spending, but at a slower rate over time.
The “Morning Joe” host also is not the first to lie about gun facts during the latest gun debate.
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., admitted to using incorrect terminology for firearms.
He used the term “assault rifle” to talk about the AR-15. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, assault rifles “can be set for automatic or semiautomatic fire.” Assault rifles have also been banned to the public since 1934, according to Independent Journal Review.
One Twitter user pointed out the representative’s mistake, and Lieu responded: “I will keep saying assault rifle if I feel like it. I will not let you define what I can or cannot say.”
The representative explained that he would define the term in statute, but “will use assault rifle interchangeably with assault weapon” in conversation.
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