Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” network host Donny Deutsch called on Democrats to refer to the Republican Party as “the party of assault weapons” in response to the mass shootings in Texas and Ohio over the weekend.

Deutsch said Democratic candidates should campaign on their party being “the party of protection” and label GOP as the “party of assault.”

“I think it’s a moment in time and I think the Democrats need to stand up at this moment. It’s about assault weapons,” Deutsch stated. “Yeah, it’s so ridiculous to talk about — I know it’s, ‘Oh, it’s a move in background checks and red flags’ where that would not have stopped the shootings. … The surgeon at acute trauma said they have done a study between 2001 and 2017 … 70% would not have died if not for assault weapons. That’s the game. And what I don’t understand now from both the human and political point is 70% support for a ban on assault weapons.”

He continued, “Democrats, draw a line, ‘The Republican Party, you are the party of assault weapons and we are against it.’ I find it ironic that the Democrats will push for impeachment and go, ‘We know it’s not politically expedient, but ideologically we have to stand by it,’ yet they won’t do that when it comes to the assault weapons. Every Democratic candidate should stand up and say, ‘We are the party of protection and the Republicans are the party of assault. Not only assault weapons — assault on the truth, assault on wages, assault on universal health care.’ Make them the party of assault. This is a moment in time that leaders step up. And I just find that we all go blah-blah-blah-blah-blah. It doesn’t matter until we get the assault weapons.”

Deutsch then later added, “Make Republicans be the party of assault weapons. Not a slippery slope question. Make them the party of assault.”

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