California Governor Gavin Newsom has again repeated the false claim that guns are the number one killer of children. On Friday Newsom tweeted, “Guns are the #1 killer of kids in America. Not cancer. Not car crashes. Not drugs. GUNS.”
He then went on to criticize the Republican Party claiming GOP lawmakers are not doing anything to stop the killings.
Guns are the #1 killer of kids in America.
Not cancer. Not car crashes. Not drugs.
GUNS.
And what is the @GOP doing about it? Absolutely nothing. https://t.co/tEk8dEPr8v
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 25, 2023
Breitbart reports: On June 2, 2o22, Breitbart News pointed out President Joe Biden’s claim that guns are the number one killer of children was false.
The claim can only be substantiated if one counts 18 and 19-year-olds — individuals who are old enough to vote — as children.
The claim arises from a May 26, 2022, FOX News report on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) figures showing firearm-related deaths of people aged 0-19 totaled 4,368 in 2020, while motor vehicle deaths for the same age range totaled 4,036.
But Breitbart News did a custom search on the CDC numbers, limiting the category of “children” to those aged 0-17, i.e., those below voting age, and found that the data completely flipped. The number of firearm-related deaths for children aged 0-17 was 2,281 in 2020, while the number of motor vehicle deaths for the same age range was 2,503.
Biden and other leftists, including Newsom, have continued to repeat the false claim many times since June 2022.