Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey delivered a lengthy, heartfelt speech from the podium of the White House Press Briefing Room on Tuesday in support of strengthening laws to help reduce gun violence and death. McConaughey, who was born in Uvalde, Texas, the site of the recent mass shooting, was accompanied by his wife Camila Alves.
“Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals,” McConaughey, who still makes his home in Texas, told reporters as he blamed them for “sensationalized media coverage.”
He also called for improved mental health care, and restoration of “our family values” and “our American values.”
“We need responsible gun ownership. We need background checks. We need to rise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15 to 21. We need a waiting period for those rifles. We need red flag laws and consequences for those who abuse them.”
“These are reasonable, practical, tactical regulations.”
“These regulations are not a step back, they’re a step forward, for a civil society and the Second Amendment,” he added.
McConaughey recently declined to run for Texas governor after announcing he was considering entering politics. It is not known if he is a Democrat or Republican but many have assumed he might have run as a Republican.
Short clip then full speech below:
Full speech: