Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey makes White House appearance to urge 'gun responsibility'
The panel on 'The Five' reacts to longtime actor's heartfelt response, opportunity to change the messenger to a less partisan one.
Actor and Uvalde, Texas, native Matthew McConaughey was praised Tuesday for his impassioned remarks in the White House Briefing Room, two weeks after an 18-year-old gunned down elementary school students in his hometown.
McConaughey, who did not take questions, spoke at length about each of the young victims and pressed for "gun responsibility" as opposed to stark "gun control."
He suggested there is a middle ground where a majority of Americans sit on issues including the Second Amendment and that he himself is a proponent of its enshrined right to bear arms.
"Uvalde, Texas is where I was born, Uvalde is where I learned responsible gun ownership, and everybody called me on May 24th when I learned the news of this devastating tragedy."
Matthew McConaughey addresses White House reporters (Win McNamee/Getty)
On "The Five," guest panelist Tulsi Gabbard – a former Hawaii Democratic congresswoman – said she knows McConaughey and believes him to be a "sincere person."
"He genuinely cares about our country, cares about the American people. And so I think this message was delivered in that spirit, and I hope it's received in that way as well," she said.
MCCONAUGHEY PLEADS FOR RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP
A police officer comforts family members at a memorial outside Robb Elementary in Uvalde. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/Getty)
"He's right. I completely agree. We do have to come together as a country. And I think there is common ground that can be had where I think we all want to make sure that criminals and those who shouldn't have their hands on guns don't and that we do not in any way undermine our Second Amendment rights."
Host Dana Perino, a former White House press secretary to President George W. Bush, said that sometimes an issue such as this needs a "different messenger," adding McConaughey may have delivered just that.
"Sometimes you need a different messenger, and all of the things that are going to be said on this have been said," Perino said.
"People are tuning out the president, even the press secretary. She couldn't deliver a message like that."
She said McConaughey's speaking out on the issue was akin to host Greg Gutfeld often lamenting the decline of his native California – or Jeanine Pirro speaking passionately about law enforcement as a former district attorney in White Plains, N.Y.