Beto O'Rourke: Rittenhouse Saga 'Makes the Case' Against AR-15s

Beto O’Rourke suggested during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union that the Kyle Rittenhouse saga “makes the case” against AR-15 ownership.

Host Dana Bash asked O’Rourke to give his take on the Rittenhouse “not guilty” verdict. O’Rourke answered:

This entire tragedy makes the case that we should not allow our fellow Americans to own and use weapons that were originally designed for battlefield use. That AR-15, that AK-47, has one single, solitary purpose, and that is killing people as effectively, as efficiently, and in as great a number in as little time as possible.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

He added, “We saw that in Kenosha, we saw that in El Paso, Texas, where 23 people were murdered by someone with an AK-47 just in a matter of minutes.”

O’Rourke then circled back to his gubernatorial run in Texas, where he says he wants to “protect the Second Amendment” and increase gun control at the same time.

On December 4, 2019, Breitbart News reported National Shooting Sports Foundation figures showing Americans owned approximately 420 million firearms at that time, around 18 million of which were AR-15s and similar rifles.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at [email protected]. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.