'The NRA does not speak for them': Piers Morgan says Americans now thanking him on the streets for his stance on gun-control
- CNN broadcaster criticises suggestion that more firearms will reduce crime
- Tells Newsnight: 'Gun issue is so out of control that something has to give'
- White House on deportation petition: Debates shouldn't violate free speech
- Morgan got into heated debate with radio host Alex Jones over gun debate
Piers Morgan claims people are so thankful for his on-air arguments for gun control that they're actually personally thanking him when he leaves his home.
'Had literally dozens of Americans thank me on the streets of NY today,' the host tweeted. 'The NRA does not speak for them, nor does Alex Jones.'
Morgan has criticised the U.S. gun lobby as ‘stupid and dangerous’ for suggesting that more firearms could reduce crime - and said he doesn’t care if his opinions make him unpopular.
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Unimpressed: Piers Morgan last night criticised the U.S. gun lobby as 'stupid and dangerous' on Newsnight
His comments came as the White House defended freedom of speech and the press in a long-awaited response to an online petition to deport the 47-year-old over his views on gun control.
The CNN broadcaster got himself into a spectacularly bad-tempered confrontation on Monday when radio host Alex Jones challenged him to a boxing match following his calls for tougher gun laws.
'What happens here (in the US) affects me, my life and that of my family,’ he told BBC's Newsnight last night. ‘The guns issue here is now so dangerous and out of control that something has to give.
'The reaction of the gun lobby was to say more guns, less crime - arm everybody, (and) so this spiralling descent into gun madness continues. I do find it stupid and I do find it dangerous.
He said he was unphased by the ‘vitriol’ he was getting, and was trying to do ‘exactly the same’ as what President Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg were hoping to achieve.
‘It's very simple,’ he told Newsnight. ‘It's not about banning all their guns or attacking the Second Amendment. It's a very specific campaign to take these military-style assault weapons off the streets.’
Response: The White House defended the freedom of speech and the press on Wednesday in a long-awaited response to an online petition to deport CNN host Piers Morgan over his views on gun control
Meanwhile, the White House Press Secretary wrote a response in a blog post attached to the petition to deport Mr Morgan, which had gathered more than 109,000 signatures by yesterday.
'It's very simple. It's not about banning all their guns or attacking the Second Amendment. It's a very specific campaign to take these military-style assault weapons off the streets'
Piers Morgan, CNN broadcaster
'Let’s not let arguments over the Constitution’s Second Amendment violate the spirit of its First,' Jay Carney said. ‘President Obama believes that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms.
‘However, the Constitution not only guarantees an individual right to bear arms, but also enshrines the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press - fundamental principles that are essential to our democracy.’
Mr Carney noted that the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, which left 20 children and six adults dead, had 'sparked an intense, and at times emotional, national conversation’ about guns.
Fiery: CNN's Piers Morgan (left) sparred with radio host Alex Jones (right) over his opinion on gun control
Mr Morgan celebrated news of the response yesterday by saying on Twitter: ‘Breaking News: President Obama has officially decided I am not being deported.'
'The reaction of the gun lobby was to say more guns, less crime - arm everybody, (and) so this spiralling descent into gun madness continues. I do find it stupid and I do find it dangerous'
Piers Morgan
Mr Carney's response came after the petition on the White House website had gathered more than four times the requirement to warrant an official response from the administration.
The petition was started in response to an interview on Mr Morgan's show in which he called Larry Pratt of Gun Owners for America an 'idiot,' 'dangerous' and 'an unbelievably stupid man'.
In another debate, he shouted down economist John Lott, author of More Guns, Less Crime and branded him a liar for claiming gun crime trends in countries such as Britain supported his thesis.
The comments outraged gun owners across the U.S., who called for Mr Morgan to be deported.
VIDEO Piers Morgan has no regrets over calling U.S. gun lobby stupid
VIDEO President Obama responds to petitions on gun control
VIDEO Confrontation between Piers & Alex has prompted strong reactions
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