Beto O’Rourke doubles down on vow to institute stricter gun laws if elected Texas governor

On Sunday, former Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke reiterated his promises to institute strict gun control laws as he continues his run to be the governor of Texas. He also added that his campaign for the office will not be about President Joe Biden. 

O’Rourke appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and was asked by host Dana Bash if the president would be invited to Texas to campaign for him despite not polling well. He responded, “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 continued, “This is going to be about the people of Texas and what the people of Texas want. And I have told you, they want the big things, like jobs, great schools, and making sure everyone can see a doctor. But they also want to see some competence in their government.” 

He also mentioned the position on guns that he took during his presidential campaign. In a Democratic presidential debate in September 2019, he 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 by Bash whether he stands by the vow he made, he responded, “I still hold this view.” O’Rourke added, “Look, we are a state that has a long, proud tradition of responsible gun ownership. And most of us here in Texas do not want to see our friends, our families, our neighbors shot up with these weapons of war.”

In July, GOP Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law that allows people to carry handguns without a license. O’Rourke said fellow Texans have expressed concern to him over the law. “We don’t want extremism in our gun laws,” he commented. “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.”