After the National Rifle Association declined to send a representative to CNN’s gun control town hall, which takes place Thursday night, the network is seeking other anti-gun regulation voices to place in the live audience.
A CNN spokeswoman told the Washington Examiner media desk that the intent is to have an audience with “a mix of guests with pro- and anti-gun views, as well as people whose lives have been changed by guns.” She said CNN is “working to ensure that many perspectives in the debate are being represented.”
CNN announced plans for the town hall forum on Monday, as President Obama signaled that he would be taking executive action on gun control. He announced this week that his administration would tighten regulations on gun dealers and expand federal background checks on gun purchases.
The NRA, the most influential gun-rights lobby in the country, said on Wednesday that it was invited to participate in CNN’s town hall but that it “sees no reason to participate in a public-relations spectacle …”
