The National Rifle Association turned down CNN’s invitation to Thursday night’s town hall “Guns in America”, but its social media arm and executive director responded to President Obama from the sideline.
On Twitter, the NRA issued a running series of rebuttals and accusations, countering Obama’s points, while asserting that “none of the president’s
![Clearfield County District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr., discusses legal action regarding individuals who sell and abuse drugs in Clearfield County. Shaw was one of several speakers at a youth drug and alcohol forum held Wednesday at the Clearfield Area Junior/Senior High School. Shaw said many members in the community have a perception about how drug \"dealers\" should be handled, while those who make the laws have very different opinions. He urged those in attendance to speak to their legislators and become active to help make Clearfield County a safer place to live. (Photo by Kimberly Finnigan)](https://gantnews.com/wp-content/gallery/youth-drug-and-alcohol-trends/DSC_0034-e1493263222585.jpg "Clearfield County District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr., discusses legal action regarding individuals who sell and abuse drugs in Clearfield County. Shaw was one of several speakers at a youth drug and alcohol forum held Wednesday at the Clearfield Area Junior/Senior High School. Shaw said many members in the community have a perception about how drug \\"dealers\\" should be handled, while those who make the laws have very different opinions. He urged those in attendance to speak to their legislators and become active to help make Clearfield County a safer place to live. (Photo by Kimberly Finnigan)")
![EMT Andrew Gulich of Clearfield EMS presented statistics on the numbers of patients of opioid over-dose who were \"brought back\" through the use of Narcan during Wednesday\'s forum on youth drug and alcohol abuse at the Clearfield Area Junior/Senior High School. The forum was attended by over 60 people (Photo by Kimberly Finnigan)](https://gantnews.com/wp-content/gallery/youth-drug-and-alcohol-trends/DSC_0030.jpg "EMT Andrew Gulich of Clearfield EMS presented statistics on the numbers of patients of opioid over-dose who were \\"brought back\\" through the use of Narcan during Wednesday\'s forum on youth drug and alcohol abuse at the Clearfield Area Junior/Senior High School. The forum was attended by over 60 people (Photo by Kimberly Finnigan)")
As the conversation with the president was still ongoing in Fairfax, Virginia, not far from NRA headquarters, NRA chief Chris Cox popped up on Fox News.
Cox immediately defended his decision to sit out the town hall.
“What are we going to talk about, basketball?” he said. “I am not interested in going over and talking to the president who doesn’t have a basic level of respect or understanding of the Second Amendment and law abiding gun owners in this country.”
Asked about Obama’s recent emotional discussion of the children — mostly first-graders — killed in the 2012 mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., Cox bristled.
“The president doesn’t have a monopoly on compassion,” he told anchor Megyn Kelly. “The president doesn’t get to lecture us on loving our kids.”
Despite applause across social media for opening up the president to tough, fair questions from vocal anti-control voices like an Arizona sheriff, a gun industry executive and Taya Kyle, the widow of war veteran and “American Sniper” Chris Kyle, the NRA twitter account continued its criticism well into the night.
“@POTUS doesn’t want an intellectually honest policy discussion,” the group tweeted more than an hour after the forum ended. “He wanted #NRA to be an audience member at his PR stunt. No thanks.”
