Washington — Vice President Kamala Harris shocked many when she revealed Tuesday night time that she is a gun proprietor as she rebuffed former President Trump’s declare throughout the presidential debate that her administration would confiscate Individuals’ firearms.
“This enterprise about taking everybody’s weapons away, Tim Walz and I are each gun homeowners,” Harris stated throughout the debate hosted by ABC Information. “We’re not taking anyone’s weapons away.”
Walz has spoken publicly about being an avid hunter and gun proprietor. He even earned “A” scores from the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation from 2010 to 2016, although his grade fell to an “F” in 2018 after the Minnesota governor backed stricter gun legal guidelines after the taking pictures at a highschool in Parkland, Florida.
However Harris’ quip about having a gun raised eyebrows, although it is not the primary time the vice chairman has spoken about it publicly.
In 2019, whereas working within the Democratic presidential main, Harris instructed reporters that she is a gun proprietor, in line with a CNN report on the time.
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“I personal a gun for in all probability the explanation lots of people do — for private security,” she stated. “I used to be a profession prosecutor.”
A Harris marketing campaign aide instructed CNN in 2019 that she has a handgun that was bought years in the past.
She additionally stated at a coverage discussion board throughout her first presidential marketing campaign that she helps a necessary buyback program for assault-syle weapons.
“There are 5 million at the least, some estimate as many as 10 million,” Harris stated of the weapons. “And we will need to have sensible public coverage that is about taking these off the streets, however doing it the proper manner.”
Harris marketing campaign officers instructed The New York Occasions in July that she is not going to push for a compulsory buyback of sure weapons as president, however helps tightening gun restrictions.
Following Tuesday’s debate, a Harris marketing campaign official once more confirmed the Democratic presidential nominee owns a handgun, and it is the identical firearm she talked about 5 years in the past.
Harris has known as for extra stringent gun legal guidelines, together with common background checks and red-flag legal guidelines, which permit individuals to petition the courts to briefly take away an individual’s gun if they’re deemed to be a hazard to themselves or others. She additionally helps a ban on assault-style weapons and elevated funding for psychological well being care.
However the vice chairman has stated on the marketing campaign path that she helps the Second Modification.
“It’s a false option to say you are both in favor of the Second Modification otherwise you wish to take everybody’s weapons away,” she stated throughout a marketing campaign occasion in New Hampshire final week. “I am in favor of the Second Modification, and I do know we want cheap gun security legal guidelines in our nation.”
The controversy between Harris and Trump was their first face-to-face assembly and will be the solely matchup between the 2 presidential hopefuls earlier than the November election.
