No One's Trying to Take Away Your Guns, Karl!': Juan Williams and Karl Rove Clash Over America's Gun Debate

On Tuesday night, Sean Hannity was joined by liberal commentator Juan Williams and conservative political strategist Karl Rove. In a spirited debate, the three tackled the nation's gun debate, at moments getting heated over some of the finer points.

While Hannity wondered why mass politicization of tragedy apparently runs rampant on the American left, Williams rebutted this curiosity by claiming that the right is at fault, as conservatives always take a "let's not talk about guns" stance following national gun-related tragedies.

Williams and Rove went on to debate the National Rifle Association's (NRA) silence in the wake of the Washington Navy Yard attack, with the liberal commentator holding little back.

Karl Rove and Juan Williams debate guns (Photo Credit: Fox News)

"My point to you, the reason that the NRA didn't say anything yesterday is they knew they'd be on the defensive in the face of 12 people being dead -- and every day they speak loud and clear -- so loud that the Congress can't hear the American people saying, 'What about reasonable gun control in this country,'" said Williams.

Later, he charged that the NRA uses its money to control the debate and that the organization also relies upon intimidation tactics to ensure that its interests are served by those in power. Rove, though, dismissed these accusations and maintained that politicians may be opposing gun control because that's what their constituents want.

The debate didn't end there.

Rove said that a focus upon mental illness is paramount. Rather than a gun conversation following the Washington Navy Yard shooting, he argued that there should have been a focus on addressing what can be done to ensure that people with mental illnesses don't have access to firearms.

"But instead we got this, 'We've got to stop having AR-15s when an AR-15 was not involved and once again it happens in an area -- a part of the country with very serious and severe gun laws," he said.

Rove and Williams had their biggest clash, though, over whether the right of Americans to access guns is being eroded.

"No one's trying to take away your guns, Carl! Don't try and feed paranoia," said Juan, later adding, "You're spinning so bad you can't even keep straight."

Watch the contentious segment, below:

(H/T: Mediaite)

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