On Monday, the three network morning shows hyped “security concerns” over Ohio’s open carry gun law and the prospect of protesters being armed around the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. On NBC’s Today, correspondent Stephanie Gosk feared: “The other concern that police have, that people are going to come here carrying their guns. There is a long list of banned items, but because of Ohio law, they are allowed to bring guns.”
She then touted “the head of the police union” in the city “calling on Governor John Kasich to declare a state of emergency, suspend that law.” Gosk lamented: “But the Governor says that is beyond his authority.” In an interview with Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson that followed, co-host Matt Lauer urged: “We know that in the wake of the police shootings down in Dallas, the open carry laws created some confusion. You have similar laws here. Are you worried about it? Should that law be suspended temporarily?”
Jackson, who they failed to identify as a Democrat, predictably responded: “Well, if you ask me what my preference is, of course. But it is the law of the land, so that means we’ll enforce the law. But as my police chief tells me, there's also a condition and responsibility to those who are engaged in an open carry, so we enforce that side also.”
Fellow co-host Savannah Guthrie pressed: “Obviously it is within an individual’s right, here in Ohio, to carry a weapon if he or she is licensed, but are you or your police chief making a request, ‘Hey, folks, if you wouldn't mind, leave your weapons at home’?” Jackson pointed out: “Just yesterday, we had a small protest with open carry, nothing happened as a result of that.”
Lauer continued to harp on the issue: “But it does seem ironic, Mr. Mayor, some of the things you can't have around that convention center, a water gun, umbrella with a metal tip, tennis balls, mace, canned goods, glass bottles. One of the things you can have around that convention center is a gun.” Jackson replied: “It's the contradiction of life, that's right.”
On CBS This Morning, as the headline “Securing The Convention, Safety Fears Grow As Ohio Open Carry Law Remains” blared across the screen, correspondent Jeff Pegues offered this report:
JEFF PEGUES: Weapons are prohibited in and around the arena, although they are still allowed elsewhere in the city.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: This is for statement only. This is not a military-style weapon. It just looks like one.
PEGUES: On Sunday, prompted by the Baton Rouge shootings, the head of the Cleveland Police Patrolman’s Association asked Governor John Kasich to temporarily suspend the state’s open carry law.
STEVE LOOMIS, CLEVELAND POLICE PATROLMEN’S ASSOC. PRES: Police officers are being murdered, ambushed and murdered. And, you know, this event and the number of uniformed police officers that we have here. It’s — I’m gravely concerned about their safety and safety of everybody else.
PEGUES: A spokeswoman for Kasich said Ohio governors do not have the power to arbitrarily suspend federal and constitutional rights or state laws as suggested.
ABC’s Good Morning America also featured a brief report on the topic:
ROBIN ROBERTS: As you know, this latest police attack comes on the heels of the Republican convention getting under way here in Cleveland. Thousands of officers on high alert as protesters gather. ABC's Pierre Thomas has more on the city on edge and it is very apparent as soon as you hit the city limits the increased security here.
PIERRE THOMAS: Robin, we're surrounded by a fence, thousands of officers on virtually every corner. Security cameras monitoring everything we see. Concrete barrier, dump trucks serve as barriers to block vehicles from being able to attack the crowds. Complicating the situation is open carry, where protesters are allowed to bring guns outside the security zone. Police don't like that. The Cleveland Union yesterday complained to the governor to see if he could suspend the law to allow police to block it. The governor can't do it because he can't suspend the constitution or state law.
ROBERTS: But the police were really hoping he would do that, but he stood by that statement that he could not do that.
Here is a full transcript of the July 18 segment on Today:
7:32 AM ET
MATT LAUER: Obviously security was already high here in Cleveland ahead of that shooting, and in its wake and other attacks in the U.S. and all around the world, new measures are being put into place. NBC’s Stephanie Gosk here with more on that part of the story. Steph, good morning to you.
STEPHANIE GOSK: Good morning, Matt. Well, one of the big concerns following that terrible attack in Nice, France was that something similar could happen here. And the police chief here in Cleveland said they’ve adapted their security plan, including blockading key roads like this one. That's what these huge trucks are doing here, very little will be able to drive through when the protests are occurring here and thousands are on the street.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Cleveland Convention Kickoff; Trump & GOP Gather Amid New Security Concerns]
The other concern that police have, that people are going to come here carrying their guns. There is a long list of banned items, but because of Ohio law, they are allowed to bring guns. You have the head of the police union yesterday calling on Governor John Kasich to declare a state of emergency, suspend that law. But the Governor says that is beyond his authority.
Now, the other factor you’re going to deal with today when these protests really begin in earnest is going to be the weather. This morning, you had these severe thunderstorms coming in, and there are more forecast for today, and you’re going to have thousands of people out here, both pro-Trump and anti-Trump, and as law enforcement knows, one of the best ways to crowd control is with a little bad weather. Guys, back to you.
LAUER: Alright, Stephanie, thank you very much. Frank Jackson is the mayor of Cleveland. Mayor Jackson, it’s nice to see you. Good morning.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Good morning.
FRANK JACKSON: Good morning, good morning.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Is Cleveland Ready for Convention?; Mayor on Preps, Protests & Open Carry Controversy]
LAUER: I want to talk about the readiness, especially the police force here. We know that in the wake of the police shootings down in Dallas, the open carry laws created some confusion. You have similar laws here. Are you worried about it? Should that law be suspended temporarily?
JACKSON: Well, if you ask me what my preference is, of course. But it is the law of the land, so that means we’ll enforce the law. But as my police chief tells me, there's also a condition and responsibility to those who are engaged in an open carry, so we enforce that side also.
GUTHRIE: Obviously it is within an individual’s right, here in Ohio, to carry a weapon if he or she is licensed, but are you or your police chief making a request, “Hey, folks, if you wouldn't mind, leave your weapons at home. It would make things more clear for our police officers who are trying to monitor these protests”?
JACKSON: Well, I think that's been very clear. You know, have we done it specifically? No. But it’s been very clear. But as you know, those who are intent on making their point around open carry will make that point regardless of what we say, and we recognize that. Just yesterday, we had a small protest with open carry, nothing happened as a result of that. So we're prepared for it, we’ve done everything that we could and should do. And so, now is about execution and implementation.
LAUER: But it does seem ironic, Mr. Mayor, some of the things you can't have around that convention center, a water gun, umbrella with a metal tip, tennis balls, mace, canned goods, glass bottles. One of the things you can have around that convention center is a gun.
JACKSON: It's the contradiction of life, that's right.
GUTHRIE: Let's talk about the security situation. I mean, before we had what happened in Orlando, in Nice, in Baton Rouge, in Dallas, it already was a security challenge. Have you made adjustments to your security in light of what we’ve seen recently?
JACKSON: Well, that's a better question for my police chief, but he has briefed me, and what he has said is that we have prepared for things that we tweak those – just like you saw the snowplow trucks, we know that in one city, Nice, where they drove into a group of people, so that’s to prevent that. So they’ve made some adjustments and tweaks. Now, of course they don't tell me everything and won't tell you anything.
LAUER: But you also want to walk a line, you’re the mayor of a great city of Cleveland, Ohio. You want this place to be safe for the convention, but you also don't want the image people take away on television that this is some kind of an armed fortress.
JACKSON: Well, but it’s the challenge. You know, we knew when we asked for the convention that we would have these challenges. Now of course these challenges get magnified when there are external things that happen, but that's part of being successful when you want to – something – you want something of this magnitude, you just have to deal with it.
LAUER: I know you’ve got a busy few days, Mr. Mayor.
JACKSON: Oh, yes, we do.
LAUER: Really nice to wake up an spend some time with you.
JACKSON: Oh, thank you very much.
LAUER: Thank you much, Mayor Jackson.
GUTHRIE: Best of luck, good to have you here. Thank you for having us here, by the way.
