Speaker 1: Last week I told you about two Republicans who said it's too much with the
shootings. We need gun control. I'm open to an assault weapons ban. That was Adam Kinzinger,
Republican congressman who's outgoing. And New York's Chris Jacobs, one of those two Republicans,
has now been so shunned by the Republican Party that has withdrawn their support for him that
he now has announced he's not going to be running for reelection. That's it. You're off script and
you're gone. So reminder, last week I did a story called Multiple Republicans Changed their minds
open to banning assault rifles. And they weren't like huge lefty declarations. It was just, hey,
you know, I've opposed these types of bans in the past, but we sort of have to do something because
this isn't good. And one of those Republicans was Chris Jacobs from New York. He is now done. Here's
a report from the Hill. New York Republican won't run for second term after backing
gun control. Representative Chris Jacobs on Friday announced he will not run for a second term in the
House. One week after breaking from his party and announcing his support for an assault weapons ban.
Jacobs, who represents suburbs of Buffalo, said Today I'm announcing I will not run for the 23rd
Congressional District. I will finish out my time as a member of Congress to the end of this year.
Jacobs was endorsed by the NRA in 2020, announced he would support a bill to ban
assault style rifles if it came to the floor. Adam Kinzinger, who's retiring, said the same thing.
Jacobs also backed raising the required age for specific gun sales to 21 years old. I'd say 25,
but 21 something enacting a federal limit on gun magazine capacities. I agree. And prohibiting the
sale of body armor to the public. The New York Republican told The Buffalo News in an interview
that he reconsidered his point of view toward guns after the shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde,
Texas. Make sense. Jacobs on Friday said every Republican elected official who endorsed him
in his reelection bid has withdrawn their support since he backed gun control measures last week.
He also said he lost the backing of Republican committees and the Republican and conservative
parties in New York state. The congressman said he ultimately decided to back out of the race
to avoid an incredibly divisive election despite the backlash. I truly believe I could win,
but it would be incredibly divisive for the party and the people of the 23rd District, many of whom
I have not ever represented. This is because the redistricting would move him from the 27th to the
23rd District, saying he doesn't want a campaign filled with half truths and lies. So look at that.
He merely entertains an assault weapons ban and he is excommunicated by the party and
is driven out of office. Now, I know some people will say, but David, he chose to quit. Okay. But
the message here is, if you aren't on message, we all pull our support. We endorse your opponent.
You're on your own. There's no gray area on this issue. You're either on script or you are
off script. It's a form of. You guys know what it is, right? It's a form of cancel culture. You say
one wrong thing and you're out. And any sort of moderation puts you in a precarious position
in today's Republican Party. It's not a big tent party there. I mean, think of it, Liz Cheney,
all she said was Trump genuinely lost. Biden genuinely won. Trump did have a role in inciting
the insurrection. She's on a list. She gets primaried. Trump shows up and campaigns for her
opponent. So this is how they work. Don't let them trick you into believing that the cancel culture
is on the left. They will cancel you if you go off script right away and this is evidence of it. So
the two thing to think of it, the two Republicans who have said, hey, you know what,
this was my view before, but here's my view now.
Kinzinger is saying it with the safety of knowing he's retiring anyway. And Jacobs now is saying,