NBA’s Steve Kerr joins Harris to talk gun violence prevention to students

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr joined Vice President Harris on Friday for a call with students about gun violence prevention, warning of the dangers of a second term for former President Trump. 

“The vast majority of people in this country, regardless of party affiliation, agree with common sense gun safety measures. Eighty percent of … Americans believe in universal background checks. We know that there’s no way Donald Trump would even attempt to actually get some legislation that would lead to that,” Kerr said in remarks on a virtual call.

The NBA coach, whose father was shot and killed in the 1980s, made headlines with his passionate response at a press conference to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which he challenged lawmakers to move forward on background checks and other gun protections.

Kerr also offered a hearty endorsement of the Biden-Harris reelection bid, saying there’s “no question” whom he’s voting for in the fall “because of their leadership on the gun violence prevention issue.”

The Biden administration has been engaged with a series of events this week around National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which falls annually on the first Friday in June. Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff is set to attend a Washington Mystics game Friday to kickstart “Wear Orange Weekend,” and the White House will be illuminated with orange lights Friday night to honor gun violence victims and survivors.

After remarks from student leaders in the Friday call, Harris made an on-screen appearance to tout the administration’s work on gun violence prevention — including the first-ever White House office on the topic and their work to close the so-called gun show loophole — and to echo Kerr’s warnings about Trump’s 2024 bid. 

“This November, to continue the fight to end gun violence, the choice is clear. Whereas President Biden and I stood up to the NRA and the gun lobby, Donald Trump bowed down. He opposed reasonable gun safety reforms and cut funding for gun violence prevention. And a second term could be even worse,” the vice president said. 

“If he wins in November, you can bet he will repeal our bipartisan gun safety law. He will reopen the gun show loophole and veto any new gun safety laws. Remember, on gun violence, Donald Trump offered a clear message for the people of America, and I quote, he said, ‘Get over it,’” she said.

Earlier this year, Trump offered “deepest sympathies” to the victims of a school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa, calling it a “horrible” incident, but then he controversially added, “but have to get over it, we have to move forward.”

Polling has long indicated gun violence is a major concern for Americans as the country continues to see mass tragedies on school campuses and elsewhere.

Democrats have taken aim at the former president on gun violence, seeing it as an area where they have an advantage over Republicans with the general public.