NH1: Hassan interview with NH1 News makes a lot of news

CONCORD – Pro-Republican groups are spotlighting Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan over comments she made in a one-on-one interview with NH1 News regarding an assault weapons ban.

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When asked by this reporter if she would support a ban on assault weapons, Hassan criticized Ayotte and other senators who voted against a bill that would have banned people on the FBI’s terrorist watch list from purchasing weapons.

“I am very disappointed that the Senate, including Sen. Ayotte, who had a chance to close a critical loophole that might have prevented him from getting this gun, they failed to do that in December. I hope very much that they take up a measure that would say people who are known or suspected terrorists in the United States of America can’t buy this kind of weapon that causes mass causalities and is intended to cause mass casualties,” Hassan said.

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Asked again if she would support an assault weapons ban, Hassan answered “I certainly think that we can take steps to prevent this kind of weapon that is designed to create mass causalities from getting into the hands of the wrong people while still protecting the Second Amendment rights of the people of New Hampshire and making sure that we’re protecting the ownership and use of legitimate hunting rifles.”

On Wednesday, speaking with reporters following a meeting of New Hampshire’s Executive Council, the governor was asked again about her stance on banning assault style weapons.

“I support an appropriate assault weapons ban. There are guns that are designed to inflict mass casualties when they are used. They are appropriate for military use but they are not appropriate for recreational use or hunting. And I am quite confident that we could have an appropriate fair assault weapons ban that still protected legitimate hunting rifles and legitimate recreational weapons,” she said.

Hassan’s Tuesday interview with NH1 News, which took place in a public hallway in the Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester, was recorded by a tracker for the pro-Republican group America Rising, which is considered the top pro-GOP opposition research shop. From there video of the interview made its way to other pro-Republican organizations that concentrate on the battle for the Senate.

This article was excerpted from NH1. Click here to read the full article online.