She first mentioned owning a gun in 2019 and has consistently supported stronger background checks and reinstating a federal assault weapons ban.
In her first solo TV interview of the election cycle, Vice President Kamala Harris told a visibly shocked Oprah Winfrey on Thursday that an intruder who breaks into her home would be « getting shot, sorry. »
With a laugh, she followed up: « I probably shouldn’t have said that. My staff will deal with it later. »
« I’m in favor of the Second Amendment, and I’m in favor of assault weapons bans, universal background checks, and red flag laws », Harris said on Thursday at the « Unite for America » event. « These are just common sense. »
Harris was responding to a question from Oprah about her personal gun ownership, which the Democratic nominee casually revealed, to the surprise of many viewers, during the Sept. 10 debate with former President Donald Trump.
« Here’s my point, Oprah. I’m not trying to take everyone’s guns away », Harris said Thursday, repeating a version of what she said on the debate stage.
On that stage, in response to Trump’s claim that his opponent « wants to confiscate your guns », the Democratic nominee fired back: « Tim Walz and I are both gun owners. We’re not taking anybody’s guns away, so stop with the constant lying about this. »
Newsweek has repeatedly reached out to the Harris campaign with detailed questions about her gun ownership, including the type of firearm she owns and whether she had a concealed-carry license in California, where she owns a home. As a district attorney and then attorney general of that state, it’s unclear whether she would have needed to obtain such a permit.
The campaign has not responded to those inquiries.
The acknowledgment that both candidates on the Democratic ticket own guns reflects a broader campaign strategy to appeal to moderate and even right-leaning voters who may be wary of a second Trump term but still have reservations about the Democrats’ positions on hot-button issues like gun control.
