‘I Don’t Need Lessons From You On Courage’: Gun Debate Provokes Heated Exchange Between Buttigieg, O’Rourke
Following the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, Rep. Beto O'Rourke has prioritized gun violence in his messaging, vocally supporting a mandatory buy-back program. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg accused O'Rourke was wasting precious time on something that won't pass. The two butted heads in one of the more barbed exchanges of the night.
The Wall Street Journal:
Democratic Debate: The Moments That Mattered
Mr. O’Rourke and Mr. Buttigieg had a heated exchange over whether to implement a mandatory government buyback of assault weapons, which devolved into the two bickering over who was more courageous. Mr. O’Rourke has become a vocal advocate for tougher gun-control measures after 22 people were killed in a mass shooting in his hometown of El Paso, Texas, in August, and he supports a mandatory buyback program. He said he expected Americans would follow the law and turn in their weapons voluntarily, but guns would be confiscated if people refused and then used their guns for intimidation. (Parti and Collins, 10/16)
Dayton Daily News:
Oregon District Shooting, Guns Topic Of Democratic Debate In Ohio
With Daytonians in the audience of the Democratic presidential debate, candidates advocated for assault weapons bans and buybacks, universal background checks and other measures to reduce the gun violence that has claimed more than 16,000 Ohioans since 2007. “The public is with us on this in a big way. The majority of Trump voters want to see universal background checks right now. The majority of gun owners want to see us move forward with gun safety legislation,” said U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who said she met with an Oregon District shooting survivor. “I just don’t want to screw this up.” (Bischoff and Robinson, 10/15)
Los Angeles Times:
Democratic Debate: Candidates Sharpen Attacks
O’Rourke denied he would send law enforcement door-to-door to retrieve guns but struggled to explain how he would otherwise enforce the proposal beyond relying on voluntary compliance from gun owners. “Look, Congressman, you just made it clear that you don’t know how this is actually going to take weapons off the streets. If you can develop the plan further, I think we can have a debate about it,” Buttigieg said. (Mason, Bierman and Halper, 10/15)
Los Angeles Times:
Pete Buttigieg And Beto O'Rourke Clash Over Gun Control
“We cannot wait for purity tests; we just have to get something done,” Buttigieg said. “This is not a purity test,” O’Rourke replied, saying that if the government was going to ban the sale of assault rifles for being too dangerous, then logically it followed that those guns should be taken off the streets. O’Rourke also implied that Buttigieg’s caution on confiscations was the result of poll testing and focus groups. Buttigieg replied: “I don’t need lessons from you on courage. We are this close to an assault weapons ban” — for sales, that is. (Pearce, 10/15)
CBS News:
Beto O'Rourke And Pete Buttigieg Spar Over Gun Buyback Proposal At Fourth Democratic Debate
Immediately after the exchange between O'Rourke and Buttigieg, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, in a more conciliatory tone, urged the rest of the candidates to dial down the rhetoric. "I worry about how we talk to each other and about each other," he told the audience. (Montoya-Galvez, 10/15)
The Associated Press Fact Check:
Dems Debate On Guns, Syria, Health Care
PETE BUTTIGIEG: "On guns, we are this close to an assault weapons ban. That would be huge." AMY KLOCHUBAR: "I just keep thinking of how close we are to finally getting something done on this." THE FACTS: No, the U.S. is not close to enacting an assault-weapons ban, as Buttigieg claimed, nor close on any significant gun control, as Klobuchar had it. Congress is not on the verge of such legislation. Prospects for an assault-weapons ban, in particular, are bound to remain slim until the next election at least. (Yen and Woodward, 10/15)
