Jon Stewart on NRA: 'Daily Show' Host Ridicules Gun Control Ad (VIDEOS)
Jon Stewart blasted and ridiculed the National Rifle Association over its new ad, which is a response to President Barack Obama's recent gun control proposals.
The controversial ad, which was released Jan. 14, attacks President Obama, the White House Administration, and bizarrely, the President's two daughters, Sasha and Malia.The NRA, which promotes legal firearm ownership, has angered a number of critics, including N.J. Gov. Chris Christie and Jon Stewart. The ad featured President Obama, who has armed Secret Service to protect his daughters while other students must go to school without armed guards present, according to The Huffington Post.
"If I didn't know any better, after seeing that ad, I would think that the NRA is either an elaborate avant-garde Joaquin Phoenix style joke or a false flag operation run by Michael Moore in an attempt to discredit gun owners," Stewart said during Wednesday night's "Daily Show."
In an attempt to highlight the absurdity of the ad, the political satirist sarcastically tried to come to grips with the NRA's bizarre argument.
"Yeah, why does [Obama] get to veto bills and command an army when we don't?" Stewart continued, drawing even more fits of laughter from his audience.
The NRA ad, which openly refers to the President as an "elitist hypocrite," begins by asking viewers "Are the President's kids more important than yours?" It then goes on to suggest that President Obama is interested in protecting Sasha and Malia but not any other American children due to his alleged preference for having "gun free [school] zones," as opposed to installing armed guards in schools.
The White House wasted no time in condemining the ad, which Gov. Christie also agreed is "reprehensible."
"Most Americans agree that a president's children should not be used as pawns in a political fight," White House press secretary Jay Carney said. "But to go so far as to make the safety of the president's children the subject of an attack ad is repugnant and cowardly."