On the Monday broadcast of his MSNBC program Hardball, host Chris Matthews trashed those who believe in the Second Amendment and gun rights.



While discussing this weekend's NRA convention in Houston, Texas with Howard Fineman and NBC's Kasie Hunt, Matthews explained why he believes there is an "overlap of birtherism and guns" in pro-gun circles. Matthews said gun rights activists "don't accept an African-American president" and view everything as "totemic" and "iconic."





CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC: To everybody watching, this isn't just about guns -- is about guns. It is about this war in this country, that's gotten more divided, more polarized. And it's about symbols like telling you you can't have certain kinds of gun. You need certain kinds of freedoms with your gun, like no background checks. Or that you have an African-American president.



Now, here's an example, the birther thing. It all ties together. You have to explain to me how they see the overlap of birtherism and guns, because I see it. Here's the new NRA president, Jim Porter. He also doesn't sound like he's willing to go in that middle line there across the aisle. Last year he made a speech not only referring to Civil War as the war of northern aggression, here we go again, but also invoked birther language. Now, I missed this last week. Birther language. Watch him here talk about our fake president.



[START VIDEO]



JAMES "JIM" W. PORTER II, NRA PRESIDENT: The NRA was started 1871 right here in New York state. It was started by some Yankee generals who didn't like the way my Southern boys had the ability to shoot, what we called the war of Northern aggression. Y'all might call it the Civil War, but we call it the war of Northern aggression down South.



I get so sick and tired of all these people with this fake president that we got who wants to say, 'Well, you know, he hasn't done anything bad for gun owners.' I say, let me tell you something bad he's done. His entire administration is anti-gun, anti-freedom, anti-second amendment.



[END VIDEO]



MATTHEWS: I don't know if he's burning books there or not. Let me tell you, Kasie [Hunt], it's a lot that lays on your shoulders. I have to tell you this. I see a far bigger fight than over background checks and gun shows. It's culture war. They don't accept an African-American president or president of color who has some antecedence in Africa. No. It has to be us or him. And our guns or him. And everything is totemic; everything is iconic; everything's fighting words. What was it feeling like down there? Didn't they react when they hear this kind of talk?