Matthew McConaughey Pushes For Gun Laws at White House: ‘Responsible Gun Owners Are Fed Up!’

In an emotional appearance at a Tuesday White House press conference, actor Matthew McConaughey called for new gun laws and restrictions in the wake of the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the town where he was born.

McConaughey said he’s spoken with the parents of many of the victims from last month’s shooting, as well as Second Amendment supporters who have called for new gun restrictions to try and prevent another mass shooting. The actor said responsible gun owners are “fed up” with inaction.

We heard from so many people, alright? Families of the deceased. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, Texas Rangers, hunters, Border Patrol, and responsible gun owners who won’t give up their Second Amendment right to bear arms,  and you know what they all said? ‘We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that won’t make it so easy for the bad guys to get these damn guns!’ So, we know what’s on the table. We need to invest in mental health care. We need safer schools, we need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values, and we need responsible gun ownership.

McConaughey called for expanded background checks, red flag laws, waiting periods for rifles like the popular AR-15, as well as raising the legal minimum age of purchase for such a weapon from 18 to 21, calling these measures “reasonable” regulations but not a “cure all.”

“Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by deranged individuals,” he said.

The actor called for an end to partisanship on the issue, as new gun laws continue to get met with resistance from staunch Second Amendment activists, while others call for complete bans.

“This should not be a partisan issue. There is not a Democratic or a Republican value in one single act of these shooters. There is not,” he said, adding both political sides need to “rise above” their politics and meet the current moment.

The actor had multiple moments during his address where he was visibly emotional speaking about the victims of the shooting and conversations with their parents. As the Texas native has said in the past, he also said he grew up shooting guns and respects the right to bear arms.