‘I want to make something clear: I’m going to guarantee you this is not the last you’re seeing of this guy…’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) After accepting former Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke’s endorsement Monday night, presidential candidate Joe Biden announced O’Rourke will help him “take care of the gun problem.”
O’Rourke’s failed presidential campaign was heavily focused on gun control, and his polices were more radical than any other Democratic candidates’. He advocated for a mandatory buyback of so-called “assault-style” rifles and admitted he would allow law enforcement to go door-to-door to confiscate the weapons.
Biden, however, seemed unconcerned that O’Rourke’s agenda doesn’t fit into his purportedly moderate platform.
“I want to make something clear: I’m going to guarantee you this is not the last you’re seeing of this guy,” Biden said to a crowd in Dallas.
“You’re going to take care of the gun problem with me,” he continued. “You’re going to be the one who leads this effort. I’m counting on you. We need you badly, the state needs you, the country needs you, you’re the best.”
Joe Biden promises Beto O’Rourke, who pushed for consequences for legal gun owners, will “be the one who leads” his gun control effort https://t.co/mbZsaCUezQ pic.twitter.com/ua9BJyeDbF
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 3, 2020
O’Rouke similarly praised Biden as “somebody who can reestablish the moral authority of the United States.”
Beto O’Rourke: “We need somebody who can reestablish the moral authority of the United States. We need somebody who will fight for democracy here and abroad, because democracy is under attack here and abroad. We need Joe Biden.” https://t.co/JEMJiQn1ln pic.twitter.com/SikNRST8pc
— ABC News (@ABC) March 3, 2020
O’Rourke’s policies would undoubtedly be aggressive. In September, he told voters “Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.”
And despite describing himself as a moderate, Biden doesn’t seem opposed to this.
“A guy has 12 assault weapons with bump stocks, which means you can fire it faster. You can pull the trigger faster,” Biden said during a Nevada CNN townhall, referencing the Las Vegas shooting.
“Why in God’s name should anyone, anyone, anyone, anyone be able to own that?” he added. “It’s just wrong, and we’ve got to—and I promise you, as president, I am going to get these guys.”