Warriors’ Steve Kerr storms out of press conference after yelling about GOP inaction on guns following Texas mass shooting

After the nation’s latest mass shooting — at least 18 elementary school children and one teacher were killed in Uvalde, Texas — Kerr was the most visibly angry he’s been when doing so. After bashing Republican senators for blocking a universal background check bill, Kerr pounded the table in front of him and walked out of the press conference ahead of Tuesday night’s Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

“When are we going to do something?” Kerr said while hitting the table. “I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there; I’m tired of the excuses; I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough.”

After an April shooting in Sacramento, Kerr said that moments of silence were inadequate and called for the Senate to vote on the same background check bill that cleared the House of Representatives in 2021. On Tuesday, Kerr went after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell by name over his party’s opposition to the bill.

“I ask you, Mitch McConnell, I ask all of you senators who refuse to do anything about the violence, school shootings and supermarket shootings, I ask all of you: ‘Are you going to put your desire for power ahead of the lives of our children, our elderly and our church-goers,’ because that’s what it looks like,” Kerr said.

Kerr, whose father was assassinated by gunmen in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1984, implored people listening not to grow numb to the violence and cited poll numbers showing that over 90% of Americans support universal background checks.

“We are being held hostage by 50 senators in Washington who refuse to even put it to a vote despite what we, the American people, want,” Kerr said. “They won’t vote on it because they want to hold onto their own power. It’s pathetic, I’ve had enough.”

He slammed the table again on his final sentence and walked out immediately after.

Stephen Curry retweeted a video of Kerr’s remarks with the comment, “watch this as much as you watch the game tonight.”

Kerr had said of the game, “We can’t sit here and just read about it and go, ‘Well, let’s have a moment of silence. Go Dubs, come on Mavs. let’s go.’ That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to go play a basketball game and 50 senators in Washington are going to hold us hostage.”