Golf legend Phil Mickelson ripped Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for pivoting to gun control in the wake of a targeted terrorist attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday evening.
The updated death toll in the terrorist attack in Sydney stands at 15 victims, which includes a 10-year-old, but excludes the one deceased shooter. The attack was carried out despite Australia having some of the strictest gun control laws in the world.
Those laws were implemented in response to the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, where a lone gunman killed 35 people.
“The very nature of our gun laws means that they are only as strong as the weakest link,” Albanese, the country’s weakest link, told reporters.
“Which is why we want to make sure that they follow Premier [of New South Wales Chris] Minns’ lead in committing to strengthening the gun laws.”
Phil Mickelson enters the chat
Mickelson, winner of six major championships, scrolled through the news, spotted a clip of the announcement, and couldn’t hold back.
He fired off a tweet pointing out that the two armed terrorists had blatantly ignored Australia’s already tough gun restrictions to carry out their attack. Mickelson argued that the prolonged rampage happened precisely because no armed civilians were present to intervene quickly.
Which, of course, is undeniably true. Imagine how much easier it would have been for the Bondi Beach hero in those videos to take down the terrorist if he had a gun, as opposed to having to tackle him from behind.
“The two terrorists didn’t seem affected by the strict gun laws already in place,” Mickelson wrote on X. “In fact, the shooting went on for a long time since there wasn’t anybody else with a gun to stop them.”
“I’m not a big gun guy but even I’m not this dumb to believe what this guy is selling.”
READ MORE: Chuck Schumer Slammed for Bills Comment After Sydney Attack
Lefty is leaning right
Earlier this month, Phil Mickelson joined the immigration debate as well, criticizing U.S. policies as excessively lenient towards criminals, contrasting them with far harsher penalties imposed by other countries.
It’s been pretty hard to ignore. Mickelson has been getting more political with his social media posts over the years. And he’s definitely channeling President Trump at times.
Last month, he expressed dismay over California’s sky-high gas prices and ripped Democratic policies that prioritize climate goals over common sense.
Weeks prior, he took a sarcastic swipe at the nationwide “No Kings” protests against Trump and took a jab at the previous occupant of the White House in the process.
“On this special day, as we all gather to fight against blanket auto pen pardons and executive orders, lawlessness, and stealing citizens’ resources for illegal non-citizens, I believe it has worked!” he sarcastically wrote on X.
“That is no longer happening, so great job, everyone.”
Mickelson captured six major championships—three Masters titles (2004, 2006, 2010), two PGA Championships (2005, 2021), and the 2013 Open Championship—before joining LIV Golf in 2022.