Texas Democrat gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke still wants to take automatic weapons away from constituents if elected over GOP incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott.
During a Democrat debate in 2019, the former presidential nominee said, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47. We’re not going to allow it to be used against our fellow Americans anymore.”
When asked if he still feels that way in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, O’Rourke said his opinion on gun reform hasn’t changed.
“Look, we are a state that has a long, proud tradition of responsible gun ownership,” O’Rourke remarked. “And most of us here in Texas do not want to see our friends, our family members, our neighbors shot up with these weapons of war. So yes, I still hold this view.”
He also took a swipe at Abbott over the issue. “We don’t want extremism in our gun laws,” O’Rourke continued. “We want to protect the Second Amendment, we want to protect the lives of our fellow Texans. And I know that when we come together and stop this divisive extremism that we see from Greg Abbott right now, we’re going to be able to do that.”
He didn’t shy away from jabbing at President Joe Biden about the surge of migrants flooding into the country across the state’s border.
“I don’t think we have seen enough urgency when it comes to rewriting our immigration laws to match the needs and the reality that we see, especially in our border communities,” O’Rourke commented. “So, yes, we expect more of our president and those who represent us in Congress.”
When host Dana Bash asked if he would seek Biden’s help during the election, despite his sagging approval ratings, O’Rourke said he plans to focus his run solely on the Lone Star State.
“This campaign in Texas is not going to be about Joe Biden. It’s not going to be about Donald Trump. It’s not going to be about anyone from outside of our state,” he stated.“This is going to be about the people of Texas and what the people of Texas want.”
O’Rourke listed out the issues he believes are most important to his constituents: Job creation, educational improvements, and medical reform, but pointed out that they “also want to see some competence in their government.”
“It means that I’m focused on Texas and on my fellow Texans. Those are the people most important to me,” he concluded. “There’s no politician, there’s no other person from outside of this state who can help to change the course of this election for better or for worse.”
