On his “Washington Watch” radio program yesterday, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins speculated that if terrorists associated with ISIS were to attack the U.S., they would be unlikely to strike the South because “more of the citizens are armed” and “know how to defend ourselves.”

Perkins was interviewing Rep. Steve Womack, R- Ark., about a bill he has introduced to revoke the passports of U.S. citizens suspected of joining terrorist organizations, when Womack warned that it’s “plausible to believe that we could potentially have the same thing brewing in our country that obviously demonstrated, manifested itself on Friday in France.”

“I agree with you,” Perkins replied. “I do think it’s less likely to happen in the South, where more of the citizens are armed. I’m serious.”

Womack laughed in response to Perkins’ remark but clarified, “I’m not laughing to make a joke out of it, I’m just telling you, as a concealed carry permit guy myself and as somebody who represents a great district in the third district of Arkansas where there’s a lot of folks like us, it’s probably less likely that it would happen there, although if you want to make a statement there are many targets in the South that go right to the heart of who we are as Americans.”

“That’s true, but we know how to defend ourselves,” Perkins said.