Harris Caps Off DNC with Call for AR-15 Ban, Other Gun Restrictions

Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris referred to as for a ban on the preferred rifle in America in the course of the ultimate day of the occasion’s conference.

On Thursday, the Democratic Nationwide Conference closed out festivities with a block devoted to the occasion’s gun priorities. A collection of gun-control advocates spoke on the primary stage within the lead-up to Harris’s acceptance speech. Then, Harris promised motion on weapons in her remarks.

“On this election, many different elementary freedoms are at stake,” Harris mentioned throughout her acceptance speech. “The liberty to reside secure from gun violence in our colleges, communities, and locations of worship.”

The plan for the way to make sure individuals are secure from gun violence was laid out earlier within the night throughout a video introducing the DNC’s “freedom from gun violence” section.

“We’ll lastly move Crimson Flag legal guidelines, common background checks, and an assault weapons ban,” Harris mentioned within the video. “The facility is with the folks.”

Whereas all three of these insurance policies have been hotly contested over the previous thirty years, the so-called assault weapons ban has lengthy been probably the most controversial. Such bans primarily goal AR-15 rifles, however the definition of “assault weapon” usually varies considerably, even from state to state, and tends to comb up way over simply these rifles. Harris has supported a ban and even referred to as for a compulsory buyback of the tens of thousands and thousands already owned by Individuals throughout her unsuccessful bid for president in 2020.

Her 2024 marketing campaign has since claimed she not plans to push for a buyback if elected this time round. Nevertheless, her give attention to an AR-15 ban, which continues President Joe Biden’s method to the difficulty, might sway voters. It’s a vital sticking level on gun coverage between her and opponent Donald Trump, which can push undecided voters to at least one aspect or the opposite.

The Nationwide Capturing Sports activities Basis, an business commerce group, estimated there have been over 24.4 million AR-15s and comparable rifles in civilian circulation in 2022. It’s broadly believed to be the preferred rifle within the nation, particularly for the reason that federal assault weapons ban of 1994 expired in 2004.

Polling on assault weapons bans lately exhibits Individuals have blended views on the proposal. In February 2023, a Quinnipiac College ballot discovered extra folks opposed the concept than supported it. An ABC Information/Washington Publish ballot from the identical month discovered a majority of Individuals opposed a ban. Nevertheless, a Fox Information ballot from that April discovered 61 % of Individuals supported a ban.

Harris’s highlighting of gun-control insurance policies contrasts together with her opponent’s method. Donald Trump didn’t point out weapons in any respect in his acceptance speech regardless of that speech lasting over an hour and a half. And that was after the Republican Celebration dropped the entire gun-policy guarantees from its platform, one thing the Democrats didn’t do.

The relative silence from Trump and the Republicans comes regardless of polling exhibiting Individuals are each excited about gun coverage and torn on who can be higher for the nation.

The latest CBS Information/YouGov ballot discovered 88 % of seemingly voters rated weapons as an element of their vote, with 58 % saying they might be a “main issue.” Extra Democrats and liberals rated the difficulty as necessary to their vote than Republicans and conservatives in that ballot. Nevertheless, the newest Fox Information ballot put Donald Trump barely forward of Harris on who registered voters trusted extra to deal with gun coverage.