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Piers Morgan Unrepentant As Petition Passes 65,000

Piers Morgan Unrepentant As Petition Passes 65,000

Piers Morgan has renewed his call for a ban on assault rifles as the number of Americans signing a petition to get him out of the country rises.

More than 65,000 people have now signed the petition on the White House website, ensuring the Obama administration will respond.

But Mr Morgan, famous for his sharp tongue and straight talking interview style, has nudged back on Twitter, saying: "Merry Christmas! Even to those who want me deported."

He has also repeated his view that assault rifles should be banned in the US following the latest shooting in which two volunteer firefighters were shot dead in New York state.

The pair were killed, and two others injured, by a gunman who set fire to a car and a house and ambushed them when they arrived at the scene.

The CNN host and former Daily Mirror editor tweeted: "Americans murdered with assault weapons in movie theaters, temples, schools, shopping malls - now, as they put out fires. Where does it end?

"Come on America, ENOUGH: Ban assault weapons & high-capacity magazines, and enforce background checks on 100% of gun sales. Do it now."

Mr Morgan's outspoken views on gun control have sharply divided opinion in the US.

The petition was launched after he interviewed Gun Owners Of America executive director Larry Pratt last week in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting.

Mr Pratt suggested some of the victims could have been saved if the teaching staff had been armed, and were therefore able to stop gunman Adam Lanza.

Mr Morgan, who repeatedly interrupted Mr Pratt and shouted over him when he was talking, appeared incredulous when he claimed more guns were the answer.

"You're an unbelievably stupid man, aren't you?" Mr Morgan asked him during the heated debate.

"You have absolutely no coherent argument. You don't actually give a damn about the gun murder rate in America."

Following the interview, a Texas journalist posted the petition to eject him on the White House website.

It alleges Mr Morgan "is engaged in a hostile attack against the US Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment".