Matthew McConaughey Shows Victim's Sneakers While Pushing For Gun Reform At White House Press Briefing

Actor Matthew McConaughey was clearly emotional when he took the stage at the White House press briefing on Tuesday afternoon as he begged Congress to pass gun control legislation.

The Academy Award-winning actor was actually born in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two adults were killed by an 18-year-old gunman at Robb Elementary School.

The “Dallas Buyers Club” actor pointed to his wife, who was holding a pair of green high-top Converse sneakers on her lap. He pointed out that the child victim had drawn a heart on the toe of the right sneaker to represent her love of nature.

“These are the same green Converse on her feet that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting,” he said. “How about that s---?” he asked as he hummed in aggravation.

In a 22-minute speech, the “Greenlights” author called for Congress to pass sensible gun control legislation that didn’t infringe on Second Amendment rights.

McConaughey had previously considered running for Governor of Texas earlier this year before deciding against it. However, he did meet with President Joe Biden ahead of his speech in the James Brady briefing room, which was broadcast on all the major networks as he continued to plead for sensible gun reform.

In his speech, the “Interstellar” actor said, “We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that won’t make it so easy for the bad guys to get the d--- guns.”

McConaughey and his wife drove back to Uvalde the day after the shooting to comfort parents who had lost children in the massacre and families affected by the senseless violence. He told the nation that every parent he spoke to wanted “their children’s dreams to live on.”

Now, the parents have only one goal: “They want to make their loss of life matter,” McConaughey said, the emotion clearly evident in his voice. He went on to share a number of personal stories, including the green sneakers and a piece of artwork drawn by another young victim.

The “True Detective” actor admitted that passing gun legislation will not end mass shootings, but said that it can help to stop the senseless loss of life that seems to be happening more frequently.

“We need to invest in mental healthcare. We need safer schools. We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage,” he said. “We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values and we need responsible gun ownership.”

“Is this a cure all?” he asked. “H--- no, but people are hurting.”

His speech drew applause from many online, including Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts, who tweeted, “Finally a famous white male gun owner is publicly outraged at gun extremism. Thank God. Thank you, Matthew McConaughey.”

Fred Guttenberg is the father of Jaime, who was killed in the Parkland, Florida school shooting. “Thank you @McConaughey,” he tweeted. “You just framed this perfectly. Since my daughter Jaime was murdered in Parkland, I have tried to engage gun owners and dads to support doing more.”

He quoted, “Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked.”

Earlier this week, Matthew McConaughey had written an op-ed in the Austin American-Statesmen, where he proposed raising the age of purchasing an assault rifle to twenty-one. He also suggested instituting a national waiting period for assault rifles, quoting a study that claimed mandatory waiting periods have reduced homicides by seventeen percent.

“I want to be clear. I am not under the illusion that these policies will solve all of our problems, but if responsible solutions can stop some of these tragedies from striking another community without destroying the Second Amendment, they’re worth it,” he wrote.