Just days after two mass shootings, one in Georgia that left eight people dead, and one in Colorado that left ten dead, including a police officer, Senator Lindsey Graham announced why he’s opposed to a ban on assault weapons.
“I own an AR-15,” Graham told Fox News host Chris Wallace. “If there’s a natural disaster in South Carolina where the cops can’t protect my neighborhood, my house will be the last one that the gang will come to because I can defend myself.”
The AR-15 has been the weapon of choice used in numerous mass shootings in the U.S. -- including the Sandy Hook School shooting in 2012, where 20 children were gunned down, the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016, where 49 people were left dead, and the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, where 61 people were killed.
Graham’s comment went viral Sunday, with more than 4.7 million viewing it on Twitter.
Following the latest mass-shootings, Biden called for a renewed ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as expanded federal background checks for gun sales.