Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) mocked President Donald Trump for speaking in favor of armed security in places of worship following the October 27 attack on the Pittsburgh synagogue.

The Tree of Life Synagogue had no security at the time of the attack, and Trump lamented the absence of good guys with guns.

Trump said, “If they had protection inside, the result would have been far better. This is a dispute that will always exist, I suspect, but if they had protection inside the synagogue maybe it could have been a very … different situation.” He observed that the lack of security allowed the attacker “to do things, unfortunately, that he shouldn’t have been able to do.”

Murphy responded to Trump’s statement by tweeting, “Trump wants gunmen armed w semi-automatic rifles in every single public place – every school, church, synagogue, shopping mall, restaurant.”

Note Murphy’s reference to “semi-automatic rifles,” which is where Democrats have finally placed their focus when it comes to bans. That reference is not only a dog whistle for other gun controllers but also allows Murphy to present Trump’s position in the most ominous tones.

Murphy said that while Trump wants armed security in churches, Democrats want to pass more gun control: “The rest of us want to keep dangerous weapons away from dangerous people. His idea works in action movies. Our idea works in real life.”

Questions for Murphy:

Do gun-free zones work in real life?

Do places of worship without armed protection work in real life?

Do background checks work in real life?

Gun-free zones are the targets of choice for high-profile attackers. The Tree of Life Synagogue had no armed protection when the attack occurred, and the attacker had a concealed carry permit, the acquisition of which requires passage of a background check. The attacker also “legally owned his guns,” which indicates he passed background checks for those as well.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.