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Surging Democratic Candidate Calls AR-15 'Weapon of Mass Destruction,' Calls for Total Ban

By Joe Saunders November 1, 2018 at 7:27am

A Democrat running in a pro-gun state like Georgia has to walk a fine line when it comes to the Second Amendment.

The Democratic candidate for governor in the Peach State tried to do just that in an appearance on “The View” on Tuesday, when she stressed that she herself is not “anti-gun,” but branded the most popular rifle in America an “assault weapon.”

The moment came when Stacy Abrams, who is locked in a tight race for governor against Republican Brian Kemp, was asked by “The View” co-host Meghan McCain about her views on the AR-15.

“You have been endorsed by Everytown (for Gun Safety), which is an anti-gun organization — Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun group as well. You say you’re proud of your F rating from the NRA,” McCain said.

“Michael Bloomberg and others like him support taking the AR-15 — which is the most popular rifle in America — away from people. Do you, like Everytown, support banning the AR-15?”

Abrams responded by describing her own background with firearms, but then declared that the AR-15 should be banned for use by civilians.

“I believe in a background check. I believe in a three-day waiting period. I believe that those who commit domestic violence and stalking should not have access to weapons,” Abrams said.

“I do not believe that weapons of mass destruction, like the AR-15, belong in civilian hands. I think they should be prohibited for civilian use.”

Could a stance like this cost a Democrat an election in Georgia?

When McCain pressed Abrams for an answer about whether she would favor rounding up AR-15s that are already owned by civilians, Abrams said only that how to deal with guns should be part of a “national conversation.”

She ended by stressing that she believes the Second Amendment is “the law of the land.”

But Abrams’ argument did not go over well with Second Amendment advocates like the National Rifle Association.

F-rated @staceyabrams wants to ban commonly owned firearms. An AR-15 is not a “weapon of mass destruction” — it’s America’s most popular rifle used for self-defense. She also wants another “Assault Weapons” Ban which historically didn’t reduce crime! #Georgia: VOTE @BrianKempGA pic.twitter.com/rK6vSSyO60

— NRA (@NRA) October 31, 2018

Gun control advocates, however, applauded.

Thank you @staceyabrams ! Someone literally just gunned down a bunch of Pittsburgh citizens with an AR-15, so please explain how they are not weapons of mass destruction? The NRA is so disgusting.

— FlowerChild (@AE_TangSoo) November 1, 2018

RealClearPolitics currently gives a slight polling edge to Kemp in the Georgia race, but Abrams is likely to get a boost from a visit planned for Thursday by mega-celebrity Oprah Winfrey, according to The Associated Press.

On Tuesday, Georgia voters will have the final say on how well Abrams has walked the fine line on the Second Amendment.

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Tags:

Georgia, Politics, Second Amendment, The View

Joe Saunders

Story Editor

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Joe has spent more than 30 years as a reporter, copy editor and metro desk editor in newsrooms in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida. He's been with Liftable Media since 2015.

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Joe has spent more than 30 years as a reporter, copy editor and metro editor in newsrooms in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida. He's been with Liftable Media since 2015. Largely a product of Catholic schools, who discovered Ayn Rand in college, Joe is a lifelong newspaperman who learned enough about the trade to be skeptical of every word ever written. He was also lucky enough to have a job that didn't need a printing press to do it.

Birthplace

Philadelphia

Nationality

American