Chelsea Clinton: Post-Scalia Supreme Court will be open to gun control

Chelsea Clinton: Post-Scalia Supreme Court will be open to gun control
By Tim Devaney - 04-22-16 11:02 AM EDT

Chelsea Clinton says the Supreme Court may be more receptive to gun control after the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia.

Scalia was an ardent defender of the Second Amendment, but since he passed away in February, the Supreme Court has been split 4-4 on many controversial issues. If Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton wins the 2016 election, she could have the opportunity to appoint a liberal replacement for Scalia that would sway the high court on gun control.

"It matters to me that my mom also recognizes the role the Supreme Court has when it comes to gun control. With Justice Scalia on the bench, one of the few areas where the Court actually had an inconsistent record relates to gun control," Chelsea Clinton said Thursday at a campaign stop in Maryland, where she was stumping for her mother.

She said the high court sometimes upheld local and state gun control measures but struck down others under the Second Amendment.

"So if you listen to Moms Demand Action and the Brady Campaign and the major efforts pushing for smart, sensible and enforceable gun control across our country, disclosure, have endorsed my mom, they say they believe the next time the Court rules on gun control, it will make a definitive ruling," Clinton continued.

"So it matters to me that my mom is the only person running for president who not only constantly makes that connection but also has a strong record on gun control and standing up to the [National Rifle Association]."

Clinton said that while she always cared about gun control, the issue took new significance to her after having a child.

"This is one of those issues I didn't know I could care more about until I became a mother," she added. "And I think every day about the Sandy Hook families whose children every day, don't come home from school. And I can't even imagine that living horror and tragedy."

Hillary Clinton would first have to pass gun-control legislation before the Supreme Court could review it - and that could be difficult to do in a Republican-controlled Congress.