Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden appears to have chosen former candidate Robert ‘Beto’ O’Rourke to lead his administration on gun control, should he win the presidency in 2020.
O’Rourke endorsed Biden for the Democratic nomination Monday, ahead of Super Tuesday voting and in a speech, Biden said O’Rourke is “going to take care of the gun problem with me. You’re going to be the one who leads this effort.”
Biden and O’Rourke discussed gun control on Facebook live video posted by O’Rourke. A portion of that video focused in on Biden’s discussion with O’Rourke about gun control.
“This guy can change the face of what we do with regard to guns, ‘assault weapons,’ in regard to dealing with climate change,” Biden said of O’Rourke as the two sat for a meal together. “And I just want to warn [O’Rourke’s wife, Amy O’Rourke], if I win, I’m coming for him.”
O’Rourke gained prominence among the 2020 Democratic field when he vowed for strict gun control during a Democratic debate. When asked about his “mandatory gun buyback” policy proposal for many popular semi-automatic firearms, O’Rourke said, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.”
O’Rourke had also said citizens who refuse to comply with his proposed gun control restrictions would receive a “visit by law enforcement to recover that firearm.”
O’Rourke had also said citizens who refuse to comply with his proposed gun control restrictions would receive a “visit by law enforcement to recover that firearm.”
It’s not yet clear if Biden plans to pursue a mandatory gun buyback plan such as the one O’Rourke proposed during his campaign. However, Biden’s assertion that O’Rourke will “lead the effort” has spooked gun owners and activists, leading them to believe that Biden might adopt O’Rourke’s plans.
Biden has previously tweeted, “No one needs an AR-15. Period. We have to get these weapons of war out of our communities,” though he did not elaborate on a plan to make that happen.
No one needs an AR-15. Period. We have to get these weapons of war out of our communities.
— Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) February 15, 2020
O’Rourke was among several candidates, including former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who recently came out in support of Biden after ending their own presidential campaigns.
After O’Rourke dropped out of the primary race, “The View” host Joy Behar suggested O’Rourke suffered from his outright gun control proposals and said Democratic candidates would be better off staying quiet about gun control and then unveiling new gun restrictions once they win office.
While it’s unclear if Biden shares the same views on gun-control as O’Rourke, both have referred to semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15 as “weapons of war.”
This article has been updated from its previous version to correct Joe Biden’s quote during his appearance with Beto O’Rourke and clarify that Biden has not promoted any form of gun confiscation or mandatory buyback policy, in light of misinformation on the issue.
