In two separate articles this week, conservative website Breitbart falsely attacked Nebraska Republican Senator Ben Sasse for supporting a Democrat-backed gun control bill that Sasse actually publicly opposes.

“[Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey] was joined by Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE), who also filibustered with the Democrats,” Breitbart’s AWR Hawkins reported. Hawkins also hit Sasse again in a second article. “Weak Republicans like Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) are quick to stand with the Democrats in this endeavor — even going so far as to take part in their June 15 filibuster for gun control,” he wrote.

It is true that Sasse participated in the filibuster in the absolutely broadest of terms, but he certainly didn’t “filibuster” or “stand with the Democrats.” Instead he came to the Senate floor to ask the filibusterers a question, one that made it clear he didn’t support the bill. Watch below, via C-SPAN.

As you can see, Sasse came to point out a flaw in Murphy’s logic; how can he deny those on the “terrorist watch list” the right to buy a gun when the “terrorist watch list” is not a thing that exists? In doing so he includes an appeal to the “due process” rights of suspects, not exactly rhetoric embraced by the bill’s supporters.

Sasse’s office confirmed his opposition in a statement to RedState, after they first noticed Breitbart’s error:

Senator Sasse is not supportive. He went to the floor to ask a question about what exactly his Democratic colleagues are referring to when they say ‘the’ watch list — there isn’t a single list — and whether or not they have concerns about citizens due process for ending up on such lists.

Perusing Breitbart’s earlier coverage of Sasse, he used to be something of a darling to the site. Mysteriously, their opinion of Sasse shifted drastically after he announced that he would never vote for Donald Trump. Ironically, the gun control measure that Breitbart incorrectly tears into Sasse for supporting actually is supported by Trump.

[Image via screengrab]

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