MAGA rep casts doubts on if Harris has a gun: ‘She needs to tell the American people what type of gun she has’

The presidential candidate has publically acknowledged since 2019 that she owns a gun for ‘personal safety’

Myriam Page,Madeline Sherratt
Monday 23 September 2024 19:38
Comments
James Comer demands that Kamala Harris tell voters what gun she has during Fox News interview

Your support helps us to tell the story

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Head shot of Andrew Feinberg

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A Republican congressman has demanded Vice President Kamala Harris “tell the American people what type of gun she has” in order to prove to them that she does, in fact, own one.

“Well, look, I don’t think anyone believes that Kamala Harris is a gun owner,” James Comer told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Sunday.

“But, if she is, she needs to tell the American people what type of gun she has,” the Kentucky representative emphasised.

Comer conveyed his doubts during a Fox News interview on Sunday
Comer conveyed his doubts during a Fox News interview on Sunday (Fox News)

Harris first revealed she is a gun owner in 2019 while campaigning for the 2020 election, saying it was for “personal safety” because of her former role as a prosecutor.

She reminded voters of this during the September 10 debate, when Donald Trump accused her of having “a plan to confiscate everybody’s guns” if she is elected in November.

“This business about taking everyone’s guns away — Tim Walz and I are both gun owners,” Democratic presidential nominee responded.

“We’re not taking anybody’s guns away, so stop with the continuous lying about this stuff.”

Harris has spoken out on her desire to ban assault weapons, telling Oprah Winfry at a Detroit campaign event last week that they are “literally designed to be a tool of war.

Kamala Harris told Oprah Winfrey that both her and governor Tim Walz own guns
Kamala Harris told Oprah Winfrey that both her and governor Tim Walz own guns (REUTERS)

She also told the host and television producer that “if somebody breaks into my house they’re getting shot,” before adding: “I probably should not have said that... my staff will deal with that later.”

She went on to clarify that she believes in the Second Amendment — and therefore not an outright ban — but argued an assault weapons ban with universal background checks and red flag laws is the right way forward.

Comer is well-known for spreading baseless claims about the Democratic ticket, having touted a conspiracy theory in August that Harris’s vice presidential pick, Tim Walz, is secretly working for China.

“This is all about crime,” he continued in his interview on Sunday Morning Futures.

“And when you look at the polling, Biden and Harris are getting killed in the polling with the issue of crime, which is a huge issue in the suburbs and it’s definitely an issue in urban America.”

Republican congressman James Comer has also spread baseless claims about Kamala Harris’s running mate Tim Walz
Republican congressman James Comer has also spread baseless claims about Kamala Harris’s running mate Tim Walz (AFP via Getty Images)

He continued: “Kamala Harris has flipped on the issues of wanting to have a southern border now when she used to say it was racist. Now she’s trying to imply that she’s scared like everyone else, so she has a gun to protect her family.”

Comer’s state of Kentucky has seen 11 mass shootings so far this year, according to Gun Violence Archive, with a total of 11 victims killed and 47 injured.

Gun violence continues to soar in the US. On Saturday night, four people were shot dead, with at least 17 others injured, after gunmen fired over 100 shots in a mass shooting in Birmingham that police believe was a “targeted attack.”

The Independent has contacted the Harris campaign for comment.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in