Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy responded to the National Rifle Association's criticism over Connecticut's new gun laws, referring to Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre as "the clowns at the circus—they get the most attention."
"This guy is so out of whack, it's unbelievable," Malloy said on CNN's State of the Union after watching a clip of LaPierre ridiculing Connecticut's new laws, saying that they would do nothing to reduce gun violence.Malloy said ,
Malloy added that the NRA is incapable of compromising "on anything to do with guns."
"92% of the American people want universal background checks," the governor said. "I can't get on a plane as the governor of the state of Connecticut without somebody running a background check on me. Why should you be able to buy a gun? Or buy armor-piercing ammunitions? It doesn't make any sense. He doesn't make any sense. Thus my reference to the circus."
Arguing that the NRA's sole mission is to promote the sale of guns, Malloy said the NRA only aims to protect "the ability of the gun industry to sell as many guns to as many people as possible even if they're deranged, even if they're mentally ill, even if they have a criminal background, they don't care, They want to sell guns."
Last Thursday, the Democratic governor signed a bill into law that bans more than 100 types of assault weapons, limits the capacity of magazine clips, and now requires a certificate to purchase ammunition and a background check for all gun purchases in Connecticut. The state was left devastated after 20 children and six teachers were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. last December.
The new state law bans the semiautomatic Bushmaster rifle, one of the firearms shooter Adam Lanza used at the school.
LaPierre dismissed Connecticut's law on Fox News last week, saying that it will only apply to lawful citizens and that criminals will figure out ways around the new law.
"I think the problem with what Connecticut did is the criminals, the drug dealers, the people that are going to do horror and terror, they aren't going to cooperate," LaPierre said. "I mean, all you're doing is making the lawbooks bigger for the law-abiding people."
Led by former Congressman Asa Hutchinson, the NRA-funded "National School Shield Program" released a report recommending training and placing armed school guards in every school in the country, along with improved mental health programs.
Malloy said there is "precious little" he can agree on with t he NRA school plan and said that, instead of increasing the number of armed guards, schools need set up tougher restrictions on allowing people to carry guns in the first place.
The president will head to Connecticut Monday afternoon to deliver remarks at the University of Hartford urging Congress to pass legislation reducing gun violence. During his visit, President Obama will meet privately with family members of the Newtown shooting victims.
A nonprofit organization created by members of the Newtown community, Sandy Hook Promise, told NBC News that all 11 family members, representing nine of those killed, will fly back on Air Force One back to Washington, D.C. with the president Monday evening.