Dana Loesch

After multiple reports of physical abuse came out against former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the National Rifle Association used the details to push its agenda, claiming that the solution to violence against women is more gun ownership.

A May 7 New Yorker article reported that four women say Schneiderman repeatedly hit them, often while intoxicated and sometimes as part of violent sexual roleplay to which they did not consent. Just hours after the story broke, Schneiderman announced his resignation.

The next day, the NRA’s media sector, NRATV, cited the abuse to advocate for female gun ownership as a means of defense against sexual assault and domestic violence. On her show Relentless, NRA national spokesperson Dana Loesch claimed that Schneiderman’s views on gun regulation were motivated by his abusive behavior.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

“And let’s not forget that Schneiderman just hates lawful gun ownership. Hearing these stories about him it’s no wonder why. The last thing human filth like this would want is for a woman to be in a position to defend herself.” – @DLoesch #Me2A #NRA pic.twitter.com/8Jwgeu85Y3

— NRATV (@NRATV) May 8, 2018

Following that, on NRATV’s news show Stinchfield, Loesch said that it was “fitting that Eric Schneiderman is also anti-gun because predators such as men like him, they don’t like for their victims to be armed” and asserted that abusers are usually “far-left individuals who want women to remain victims and are absolutely aghast when women speak about their right to defend themselves.”

In actuality, evidence shows that the presence of a firearm makes domestic violence situations more dangerous.

Contact Alyssa Fisher at [email protected] or on Twitter, @alyssalfisher

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re in the middle of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 22.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount