Wasserman Schultz Chides Gun Manufacturers for 'Targeting Youngsters'

Florida Democrats are committed to ensuring that President Joe Biden (D) sign stricter gun control legislations, which has only increased tensions between Republicans and Democrats. Over the weekend, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), a staunch gun control supporter, shared an exchange with a gun manufacturer, commenting that "gun companies target youngsters" and that the Federal Government should do more to stop this.

The exchange comes after lawmakers voted in favor of banning assault weapons.

The bill, co-sponsored by 207 voting Democrats, prohibits "the sale, manufacture, transfer or import of various semi-automatic assault weapons, semi-automatic pistols and semi-automatic shotguns, depending on their features" according to the Hill.

Rep. Wasserman Schultz, who voted in favor of the bill, took to social media to share her exchange with Marty Daniel, the CEO of Daniel Defense, an arms manufacturer.

Commenting on the exchange, the Florida Democrat expressed that "Gun companies target youngsters with predatory social media marketing tactics that glamorize weapons of war," adding that "killing machines should not be on our streets - or peddled to our children."

During the exchange, Wasserman Schultz questions why Daniel Defense uses "pop stars," posing with guns, arguing that this is a marketing tactic to entice children with weapons. She affirms that Daniel Defense uses these marketing strategies to turn "killing machines into social media 'thirst traps' for young people who will see these weapons as sexy, hip, and alluring."

Ahead of the upcoming midterm election, gun control along with abortion rights have been important topics of discussion for lawmakers, and Florida Democrats have asserted that their support for both will enlist support from voters.

Florida Rep. Val Demings (D), who's vying to unseat Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R), championed the assault weapons ban, saying that "assault weapons give criminals and terrorists the ability to cause incalculable damage to our families and our communities even when law enforcement is able to respond immediately."