Matthew McConaughey says the GOP's views on gun control 'address the root of the problem' but 'we also need to lean into not allowing the bad guy' to get a gun 'before we have to catch him'

• Matthew said we need to prevent the bad guy from getting a gun.

• Following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the actor became a supporter of gun reform.

• He says gun policies are needed to stop mass shootings at the beginning.

The GOP's views on gun control make sense, but we need to lean into not allowing the bad guy to have the gun.

In his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, 19 children and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.

The tragedy renewed calls from both sides of the political spectrum for action, with Democrats calling for stricter gun policies and Republicans calling for school safety.

In an interview with Fox News host Baier on Tuesday, the actor said Republicans are looking at the root of the problem by focusing on issues such as mental health and restoring family values.

He said that all of the things made sense. The root of the problem is the mentally ill people. We fix the people and then we don't have this conversation. We are not going to fix them. After we're gone, that is going to be a lifetime job.

Some things can be done to keep the guns out of the bad guy's hands and make it harder for them to get them. If they have a gun, we have the right to take it from them. We have to catch the bad guy before we allow him to get it.

On Monday, McConaughey wrote an op-ed for the Austin American-Statesman, outlining the gun control policies he believes could restore responsible gun ownership in our country, including background checks, red flag laws, raising the age to purchase a rifle from 18 to 21, and instituting a national waiting

He wrote that this isn't a choice between guns or no guns. It's the right decision. It's the right decision.

At the White House press briefing on Tuesday, he spoke about his experience meeting with families of Uvalde school shooting victims and urged lawmakers to address gun violence in schools.

Is it possible for both sides to rise above? Can both sides see that we have a life preservation issue on our hands? "I told you so." We have a chance to reach for a higher ground above our political affiliations.

Business Insider has an article on it.