Fred Guttenberg, Joe Walsh Call for Gun Reforms, Slam ‘Whiny’ DeSantis for Blocking Tampa Bay Rays’ Funding Over Team’s Gun Violence Tweets

Gun reform activist Fred Guttenberg and former Republican congressman and vocal Trump critic Joe Walsh sharply rebuked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for pulling funding for the Tampa Bay Rays after the team tweeted about gun violence.

The criticism came as the pair joined CNN’s Jim Acosta on Saturday to discuss changes that could reduce gun violence in the wake of the shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo, in which 21 and 10 people were killed respectively.

Acosta began the segment by asking Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed during the Parkland shooting, about President Joe Biden‘s statement that he wants to ban assault-style weapons, or at a minimum, raise the purchase age limit from 18 to 21.

“Raising the age would have saved my daughter,” Guttenberg replied. “Raising the age would have stopped Uvalde. Raising the age would have stopped Buffalo.”

The Parkland gunman was 19-years-old at the time, and the shooters in Uvalde and Buffalo are both 18.

According to the New York Times, “six of the nine deadliest mass shootings in the United States since 2018 were by people who were 21 or younger, representing a shift for mass casualty shootings, which before 2000 were most often initiated by men in their mid-20s, 30s and 40s.”

Guttenberg went on to say that he has come to respect Walsh because of his efforts to learn how “to reduce gun violence and save lives.”

“Not ways to punish gun owners, but to solve the issue of gun violence,” he continued. “And so I really appreciate President Biden raising that and saying while I want a ban, I also understand where we are, so let’s at a minimum take into the reality check that we have to, that the majority of these mass shootings are being done by this age group, and let’s do something about it.”

Walsh then did not directly answer Acosta’s next question — if he supported raising the age limit to 21, something he previously said he was undecided on — but reiterated his support for universal background checks and red flag laws.

“18 or 21, Jim, anybody who gets an AR-15 should have to be trained in how to use that,” he said. “I think where Fred and I have come together is doing as much as we can before a gun is bought. You know that. I mean, things like universal background checks and red flag laws, these should be easy.”

“But they’re not,” Acosta interrupted.

“Because those Senate Republicans feel pressure from the NRA and other lobbying groups,” Walsh replied. “Jim, I’m a gun owner. Most gun owners support universal background checks.”

Acosta then pivoted to ask about whether Guttenberg thinks the fourth grader who survived Uvalde by covering herself in her friends’ blood and playing dead testifying before Congress will help spur gun reform on Capitol Hill.

Guttenberg said Miah Cerillo‘s testimony likely will not sway the minds of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) — who greenlit bipartisan talks but wants to focus on school safety and mental illness — nor lawmakers like Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) who recently flaunted his guns while appearing remotely for a hearing, but could be enough to help break a filibuster.

“Let’s be clear that amazing young child will be talking to the 80 or 90% of America who wants to do something about this,” Guttenberg said. “She’ll be talking to the president who is going to sign legislation, the House who is passing legislation, and the 50 members of the Senate who are ready to pass legislation.”

He added: “I’m not optimistic, but I pray there are ten people on the Republican side in the Senate who will be moved by that young lady, but I’m not counting on it.”

Walsh chimed in that change is “not going to happen unless gun owners pressure these Senate Republicans, period.”

Acosta then switched topics to ask about DeSantis blocking funding for a potential spring training site for the Tampa Bay Rays after the team tweeted about gun violence in the wake of the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings.

“It was his connection to the Parkland families that helped elevate him to a status that helped get him elected,” Guttenberg said. “So what do I think about him now?” I think he is a petty, whiny, small person who has developed some kind of a Napoleon complex, to be quite candid, that he would punish the Tampa Bay baseball team for actually just highlighting the issue of gun violence.”

“It is beyond thinkable, but he is because it’s who he is,” he added. “And we need to punish him for it by not reelecting him.”

Walsh noted that DeSantis is widely popular among Republicans, claiming because “they want an authoritarian to do this kind of crap.”

Acosta then commented: “They want a mini Trump down in Florida, and they have one.”

Watch above, via CNN