Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” host Joe Scarborough attacked the National Rifle Association for being behind House Republicans opposition to gun control efforts, which are currently being protested by House Democrats staging a so-called “sit-in” protest on the floor of the House of Representatives.

According to Scarborough, the NRA was putting the GOP in a “bad position,” which he said was something the overwhelming majority of Americans support.

“I’ll tell you what, Paul Ryan said it was nothing but a publicity stunt,” Scarborough said. “If that’s the case, it’s a damn good publicity stunt. It also happens to be a damn good publicity stunt that has 90 percent of Americans behind it. You look at the scene for me where Democrats were holding up bills while Paul Ryan was speaking and waving it and asking, just give us a vote. Give us a vote. I’ve seen this used time and time again as a powerful, powerful political tool where you have a majority looking like it is steamrolling over a minority that’s trying to get a bill voted on that the majority of Americans would want not only voted on but passed. And Nicolle [Wallace], you look at these images, it’s not good for the Republican Party. We’ve talked about some problems that the Republican have had in the past — look at that scene right there.”

“Do you know what’s holding that bill up from being voted on and being passed?” he continued. “A couple of people in the Washington offices of the National Rifle Association. That’s not me making a political statement statement. That is me stating the fact 90 percent of Americans want to keep guns out of the hands of terrorist and want expanded background checks not only agree with but know. This is a bad scene for Republicans, Nicolle. And I wonder how long we’re going to continue to let three or four people in the national headquarters of the National Rifle Association in Washington, DC, continue to put the Republican Party in a bad position when 85 percent of Americans support — Republicans support this as well.”

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