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Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) speaks during the North American Building Trades Unions Conference at the Washington Hilton April 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Zach Gibson / Getty Images)

2020 Dem Tim Ryan Plans To Lead 'Caravan' of Anti-Gun Protesters to Mitch McConnell's Own Backyard

By Bradley Evans August 8, 2019 at 4:38pm

Democratic Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan announced on Wednesday that he will be leading a “caravan” of gun control activists to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s own backyard to pressure the Kentucky Republican to bring gun control legislation to the Senate floor.

“Tomorrow, I am leading a caravan in my official capacity as a congressman, working with Moms Demand Action to start in Youngstown and go to Akron and Columbus and Dayton and Cincinnati and pick people up along the way and we’re going to Louisville, Kentucky,” Ryan, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president, told CNN.

It’s been 150+ days since the House passed 2 comprehensive gun reform bills & Mitch McConnell still has done nothing. That’s unacceptable.

Tomorrow, I’ll be leading a caravan through OH to our rally in KY to demand action from Sen. McConnell. Join us in one of our stops below:

— Congressman Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) August 8, 2019

Ryan expressed his skepticism that McConnell would join him in discussing gun control legislation.

“Mitch McConnell’s gonna do what he’s done every d— time: he just follows the president,” the Ohio congressman continued.

Though Congress is not currently in session, Ryan urged McConnell to call a special session to address the recent shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas.

“We’re going to make sure that Mitch McConnell knows that there are two pieces of legislation sitting on his desk that he needs to bring up for a vote to actually get some action,” Ryan said.

“People are dying on the streets just a couple hours from your house and you’re sitting there and doing nothing. Call the Senate back into session. Get people moving. You can maybe move some Republicans on this because of the tragedies. And you’re going to do nothing,” he continued.

Do you think Ryan's caravan is just an attempt to bring attention to his presidential bid?

Speaking on MSNBC, Ryan touted his trip as an interstate affair.

“We’re inviting everybody to come. We’ve got a caravan coming down form Ohio, we got a lot of people in Kentucky, we’re getting word people are coming from Indiana and West Virginia and possibly Pennsylvania, maybe even Tennessee,” Ryan told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell.

Ryan advertised the caravan’s goal as bringing a message directly to McConnell.

“I’m here to say: Ohioans aren’t forgetting. We’re going to see Mitch McConnell tomorrow,” Ryan said in his CNN appearance.

The congressman was quick, however, to correct the misconception that he was actually travelling to the majority leader’s house.

In a Wednesday tweet, Fox News host Laura Ingraham called Ryan’s initiative a call “for surrounding Sen Majority Leaders house.”

More threats…calls for surrounding Sen Majority Leaders house. https://t.co/jRv9w31NMf

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) August 8, 2019

In a response, Ryan said Ingraham’s statement was “not true.”

“The rally is NOT at Mitch McConnell’s house, it’s at City Plaza next to the Muhammed Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, KY,” the Ohio Democrat explained.

This is not true. The rally is NOT at Mitch McConnell’s house, it’s at City Plaza next to the Muhammed Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, KY. Next time, @ me if you want to spew falsehoods.

Americans are fed up with McConnell blocking common-sense gun reform legislation. https://t.co/VcOuFjZNHd

— Congressman Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) August 8, 2019

At the time of publication, Ryan was midway through his road trip, posting updates to his Twitter account along the way.

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