'Striking a pose of complete impotence': Nicolle Wallace blasts Texas Republicans after latest mass shooting

The latest mass shooting at the mall in Allen, Texas, left even some gun owners demanding action.

MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace began her show on Monday by attacking the inaction of Texas Republican lawmakers who continue to fight back against any possible gun safety laws, despite voters in the state approving of them overwhelmingly.

"The violent collision of hate and easy access to weapons of war expanded its blast radius over the weekend to a premium outlet mall in Texas where that state's Republican leaders are today striking a pose of complete impotence in the face of both deadly forces. The 199th shooting took place in Allen, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, texas. Eight people were murdered, including a 5-year-old boy. Six others were injured. Unimaginable, unthinkable carnage unfolded as a man armed with an AR-15-style rifle opened fire."

She played the clip that spread through the world on Sunday, showing a witness who ran to help, seeing a woman in the bushes. When he turned her over, he explained her face was gone.

"The accounts are getting more graphic. His account is just one of many in which eyewitnesses describe the horrors inflicted by weapons of war," continued Wallace. "Weapons like the AR-15. The gunman was eventually shot dead by a police officer. Now, his motive is still under investigation. The Washington Post reports that the suspect, 'had an apparent fascination with white supremacist or neo-Nazi beliefs that are now being examined by investigators as a possible motive for the attack.' That is according to people familiar with the investigation."

It was the second deadliest mass shooting in the country in 2023.

State Rep. Jarvis Johnson, a Democrat, explained that Texas Republicans choose to protect guns over people. He noted that the graphic descriptions of what happened to the victims are jarring but they're not something that changes the minds of the Republican lawmakers.

While the state GOP leaders are focusing on the "mental health" aspect of the tragedy, they've been unwilling to do anything about mental health either. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) slashed mental health funding drastically in the recent budget. There are no laws barring those with mental health issues from having guns. There are no red-flag laws in Texas that allow a judge to take a gun away if a person is deemed to be a danger to themselves or society. There are no plans to put up a ballot measure to allow Texas citizens an opportunity to enact laws their elected officials refuse.

The one thing that has happened thus far is that a House panel approved a bill to raise the age to purchase a semi-automatic rifle to 21 years old. It's unclear if the votes are there to pass it or if Abbott would be willing to sign it.

More than 65 percent of Texans supported a red-flag law, according to a 2022 poll by the University of Texas at Austin.

Abbott's solution is more guns not less.

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