During a 2019 Democratic debate, Kamala Harris boldly pledged to ban AR-15s via executive action, challenging Joe Biden's stance and igniting a debate on the limits of presidential power in gun control.
During the September 12, 2019, Democratic debate, then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris made a bold pledge to ban AR-15s through executive action. This statement came after fellow candidate Joe Biden dismissed the idea, arguing that the Constitution does not grant such authority.
Harris responded to Biden by saying, "Joe, instead of saying ‘no we can’t,’ let’s say ‘yes we can,'" emphasizing her determination to take action on gun control. She described the emotional impact of seeing autopsy photos, attending police officer funerals, and consoling mothers of homicide victims as her motivation for bypassing Congress to implement stricter gun laws.
Harris expressed frustration with the lack of Congressional action, saying, “The idea that we would wait for this Congress, which has just done nothing, to act, is just, it is, it is, overlooking the fact that everyday in America, our babies are going to school to have drills…to learn [how to hide from mass shooters].”
In the days following an attempted assassination of Donald Trump, Harris advocated for an "assault weapons" ban, a red flag law, and universal background checks.
On July 30, 2024, during Senate hearings on the attempted assassination, Democratic Senators Mazie Hirono and Dick Durbin criticized the availability of AR-15 rifles. According to Breitbart News, Hirono condemned the "easy accessibility" of AR-15s, and Durbin used the hearing to similarly denounce the widespread access to these firearms.
.png)