Oh, the irony. A Democratic staffer getting caught red-handed bringing ammunition and a high-capacity magazine into the Cannon House Office Building? You couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried.
Michael Hopkins, a communications director for Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), is now making headlines for all the wrong reasons. It seems that the folks constantly lecturing Americans about “common sense gun laws” and “reducing gun violence” need a refresher course on following their own rules.
Let’s start with the facts. The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) arrested Hopkins after they found four ammunition magazines and eleven rounds of ammo in his bag during a routine screening. His excuse? He forgot the ammunition was in there. Right. Because who among us hasn’t accidentally stuffed a high-capacity magazine into our work bag before heading to the office? Happens all the time, doesn’t it?
BREAKING: The US Capitol Police just arrested Michael Hopkins, a staff member for Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), after he was found with multiple ammo magazines and eleven other rounds while trying to enter the Cannon House Office Building. pic.twitter.com/ne0ggfSu4z
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 2, 2024
Rep. Morelle’s office, of course, was quick to issue a carefully worded statement about their “commitment to a safe and secure workplace” and promised full cooperation with the investigation. Sure, they’re cooperating now, but the optics are laughable. Morelle, as the Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, has a role in overseeing workplace safety in the Capitol complex. You can’t make this up—his own staffer just violated the very standards Morelle’s committee purports to uphold.
This isn’t even the first time something like this has happened. Back in 2021, another House staffer was arrested for allegedly bringing a loaded handgun into the Longworth House Office Building. That incident also involved delays in the Capitol Police response and raised questions about security protocols. But here’s the kicker: these are the same Democrats who rail against law-abiding gun owners and demand stricter gun control laws. Yet, when it’s their own people breaking the rules, the response is a lot more muted, isn’t it?
It’s hard not to see the double standard. If this had been a Republican staffer—or worse, someone associated with a pro-Second Amendment group—the media and Democratic leadership would be in full meltdown mode. We’d be hearing nonstop lectures about the dangers of “gun culture” and how this proves the need for even more government oversight. But since this involves a Democratic staffer, it’s just an innocent mistake, right? Move along, nothing to see here.
And let’s not forget the sheer incompetence. We’re talking about one of the most secure buildings in the country. How does ammunition accidentally make its way into a bag bound for the office of a senior House Democrat? And how many other staffers might be “forgetting” what’s in their bags? These are the people who supposedly have the moral authority to lecture the rest of us on safety and security.
This whole incident highlights the hypocrisy and ineptitude that have come to define Washington, D.C. Democrats preach accountability but rarely practice it. They demand tighter restrictions on your rights while their own staffers can’t even manage to follow existing laws. Maybe instead of drafting more legislation that inconveniences law-abiding citizens, they should focus on getting their own house in order—literally.
For now, Hopkins is facing charges, and Morelle’s office is scrambling to control the narrative. But one thing is clear: the party of “do as I say, not as I do” has once again shown its true colors.
