Last week, nine American citizens — three women and six of their young children — were brutally murdered by a suspected drug cartel in Sonora, Mexico. The attack, which quickly sparked <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/3-women-6-children-from-u-s-mormon-family-massacred-by-mexican-drug-cartel-trump-responds">President Donald Trump</a> to declared &#8220;war&#8221; on the Mexican cartels, received international media attention.
Following the gruesome nightmare of an attack on her family, Kendra Lee Miller, the sister-in-law of victim Rohnita Maria Miller, joined Anderson Cooper on CNN and urged Americans to &#8220;fight&#8221; for their guns.
&#8220;The Mexican people here are oppressed,&#8221; Miller explained. &#8220;They are being abused by the cartels, living in fear for their life. We can&#8217;t drive public roads safely. We&#8217;re being threatened that we can&#8217;t even take some of the public roads or else we&#8217;ll have bad things happen to us.&#8221;
&#8220;So many people are not protected the way they should be,&#8221; she noted.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know where you&#8217;re standing on the whole, people-trying-to-take-the-away-guns-in-America right now, but I say, fight for those guns,&#8221; the sister-in-law told Cooper. &#8220;These things are happening here in Mexico because the people can&#8217;t protect themselves, because by law they&#8217;re not allowed to own these guns.&#8221;
&#8220;So since the government isn&#8217;t doing their job of protection in the way that they should, these cartels can just wreak havoc and the people are left defenseless. So I say, hold onto your guns, people,&#8221; Miller urged.
There has been conflicting reporting regarding the motive of the attack on the LeBarón and Langford families, but according to Miller, it was no accident. Her family was &#8220;targeted&#8221; by the cartel to spark a &#8220;war,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;Our family was picked to stir up trouble and start a war,&#8221; Miller claimed. &#8220;It was an attack on innocent civilians to basically start a war &#8230; between the Chihuahua and Sonora cartels who&#8217;ve been having turf battles.&#8221;
A suspect was arrested in connection to the crime, last week. “The suspect was holding two bound-and-gagged hostages in the hills of Agua Prieta in Sonora state, the ministerial Agency for Criminal Investigations (AMIC) said,” <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/06/americas/mormons-attacked-us-mexico-border-wednesday/index.html">CNN</a> reported Wednesday. “The suspect had several rifles and a large amount of ammunition, including a number of large-caliber weapons, the agency said in a statement posted to its official Facebook page.”
“We are waiting for some more intelligence in order to issue an official statement,” confirmed Chihuahua Attorney General Cesar Peniche Espejel.
&#8220;While some officials have said that the attack may have been a result of mistaken identity, former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda told CNN that the LeBarón family’s history of conflict with the cartels suggests that they may have been targeted,&#8221; noted the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cartel-attack-on-u-s-family-mexico-arrests-suspect-official-says-family-may-have-been-targeted">The Daily Wire</a>.
&#8220;They had stood up to the drug cartels, and they did have certain frictions either with the cartels or with neighboring communities over water rights,&#8221; Castañeda said.
&#8220;Their long-standing tensions, and apparently the woman who was driving in the first car that was attacked was an activist,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;She was someone who was very active in her community, defending her family, her fellow members of the community against cartels, on the issue of water rights.&#8221;
To watch the interview, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/11/05/acfc-full-kendra-lee-miller-mexico-ambush-vpx.cnn">click here</a>.

U.S. Citizens Murdered In Mexico

Relative Of Utah Family Killed By Cartel Goes On CNN, Urges: ‘Fight For Your Guns’

Drug Cartels

Gun Control

Mexico

Second Amendment

The following is satirical.
Beto O’Rourke has dropped out of the 2020 presidential race.
The man who once said he was born to run for president, discovered that, in fact, he was born to run for president, then sink lower and lower in the polls while he began desperately spewing increasingly inane, unconstitutional and anti-American nonsense, until he had so utterly humiliated himself and any noble cause he once may have mistakenly thought he represented that even audiences holding printed instructions on when to cheer felt their attention drifting and began to wish they had joined the political party that still eats at Chick-fil-A, where the sandwiches are just so very, very good.
Beto was born to then resign in lonely disgrace and, having already literally eaten dirt after his defeat in the Texas Senate race, he was born to try to find something even more disgusting to put in his mouth to mark what is almost certainly the end of an ill-conceived political career.
It seems like only yesterday Beto was a floppy-haired make-believe Kennedy who displayed a puppy-like enthusiasm as he grabbed the Constitution in his teeth and shook it to tatters, and now, like the protagonist of a Greek tragedy who understands the full scope of his destiny only too late, O’Rourke must wander the world seeking some way to cope with the fact that this — this complete ruin, this utter failure — this was what he was born for.
It would take a heart of stone not to sympathize with a man born for such a life, and yet when we think back on how he declared America a racist country, how he threatened to completely ignore the Second Amendment of the very Constitution he would have sworn to uphold in the horror-slash-fantasy world in which he became president, I think we must reflect that the gods are just and say, in the immortal words of Sophocles, “So long, schmuck. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Unless you were born for that too.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/born-to-lose-beto-orourke-brutally-mocked-over-failed-campaign">‘BORN TO LOSE’: Beto O’Rourke Brutally Mocked Over Failed Campaign</a>

Beto O&#8217;Rourke Hugs Volunteer

Beto Finds Out Too Late That This Is What He Was Born For [Satire]

Beto O'Rourke

Constitution

Satire

At a Beto O&#8217;Rourke campaign event Wednesday in Newtown, Connecticut — home of the tragic 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting — a &#8220;third generation&#8221; resident of the city stood up and unloaded on the Democratic presidential candidate for trying to &#8220;hijack this town&#8221; and &#8220;getting guns out of good people&#8217;s hands.&#8221;
After the El Paso shooting in early August, O&#8217;Rourke has largely focused his struggling campaign on pushing for radical gun control policies, including a &#8220;gun buyback&#8221; program which, he has proudly proclaimed, would result in the confiscation of &#8220;assault-style&#8221; rifles from law-abiding Americans.
O&#8217;Rourke, whose campaign has failed to gain any traction in the polls, chose Newtown in part because of the horrific 2012 mass shooting by a mentally ill man, a motive he made clear in his comments Wednesday. As reported by <a href="https://fox61.com/2019/10/30/beto-orourke-heckled-in-newtown-event-while-discussing-gun-violence-prevention/">Fox 61</a>, O&#8217;Rourke partnered with gun violence prevention groups, including the Newtown Action Alliance and Moms Demand Action.
&#8220;I know that the people of this community understand this better than perhaps any other community in this country and not just the devastation, the grief and the lost, but what those solutions are,&#8221; O’Rourke told the crowd gathered at the Newtown Community Center Wednesday.
But, as video footage posted by Fox 61 shows, at least one of those in attendance didn&#8217;t appreciate O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s exploitation of her city&#8217;s grief and loss.
&#8220;You&#8217;re here to hijack this town and try and make an issue out of getting guns out of good people&#8217;s hands that can make a difference. And you know that, Beto,&#8221; said Rebecca Carnes, a self-described third generation Newtown resident.
When the moderator attempted to cut her off, Carnes refused to cede the floor.
&#8220;No, this is bullish**,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s about mental health and it&#8217;s about this war on boys and masculinity. You&#8217;re bullish** by being here! Shame on you, Beto!&#8221;
&#8220;Why don&#8217;t you debate me?&#8221; she continued. &#8220;Why don&#8217;t you debate me? Go ahead, answer my question. Answer my question, Beto. Come on, Beto, let me hear it.&#8221;
&#8220;What do you have to say about mental health? What do you have to say about urban violence?&#8221; she asked. &#8220;You don&#8217;t care. The Democrats have been in charge of urban communities and cities for decades. The Democrats have failed.&#8221;
Carnes then pointed at one of her fellow town hall attendees and said, &#8220;They don&#8217;t care about you, sir. That&#8217;s why he&#8217;s at Sandy Hook. He doesn&#8217;t care,&#8221; she said in apparent reference to urban violence.
As the attendants began to try to usher her out, Carnes said, &#8220;I grew up in Newtown. No, you&#8217;re going to kick out a mother in this community. I grew up here. &#8230; I&#8217;m a third generation Newtown, so all you can go scr*w.&#8221;
WATCH (warning: language):
<iframe title="Beto O’Rourke yelled at by woman in Newtown, CT" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IA_l2wirfBs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In a Democratic presidential primary debate in September, O&#8217;Rourke came right out and said that, &#8220;hell yes,&#8221; he is going to take Americans&#8217; guns.
Asked by ABC News host David Muir if he is really serious about confiscating Americans’ AR-15s and AK-47s, O’Rourke famously said emphatically, &#8220;Hell yes.&#8221; He says:
<blockquote>&#8220;I am, if it is a weapon that was designed to kill people on a battlefield,&#8221; said the Texas Democrat. &#8220;If the high impact high velocity round, when it hits your body, shreds everything inside of your body because it was designed to do that so that you would bleed to death on a battlefield and not be able to get up and kill one of our soldiers. When we see that being used against children and in Odessa. I met the mother of a 15-year-old girl who was shot by an AR-15. And that mother watched her bleed to death over the course of an hour because so many other people were shot by that AR-15 in Odessa and Midland [that] there weren’t enough ambulances to get to them in time.&#8221;</blockquote>

Beto O&#8217;Rourke

WATCH: Newtown Woman Unloads On Beto: You’re Trying To ‘Hijack This Town,’ Take Guns &#8216;Out Of Good People’s Hands’

Mental Illness

Sandy Hook

The warrant for the arrest of Fort Worth officer Aaron Dean for the killing of Atatiana Jefferson, 28, in her home provides details from the account of her 8-year-old nephew, who witnessed the fatal shooting. According to the boy, his aunt was holding a handgun and pointed it at the window after she heard noises outside from the officers inspecting her home in response to a call from a concerned neighbor early Saturday morning.
Police have underscored that it &#8220;makes sense&#8221; that Jefferson would use her gun if she felt she was being threatened by someone in her own home. The lawyer representing the Jefferson family has also noted that she legally owned the gun.
As reported by <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2019/10/15/atatiana-jefferson-pointed-gun-out-window-before-fort-worth-officer-killed-her-nephew-told-authorities/?fbclid=IwAR1Lx73SOk32HweII9ruwrS8na_hP0iohR7Ilh/">The Dallas Morning News</a>, the boy told authorities that he was in the room with Jefferson when she was shot and killed by Dean, one of the two officers who responded to a neighbor&#8217;s call expressing concern about Jefferson&#8217;s front door being left open and lights on so late at night.
The boy was playing video games with his aunt when she heard noises outside her home, he said. She took a handgun from her purse and pointed it &#8220;toward the window,&#8221; the boy told forensic investigators. That&#8217;s when Dean yelled, “Put your hands up! Show me your hands!” then fired a single shot, killing Jefferson.
&#8220;Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus said at a news conference Tuesday that it &#8216;makes sense that she would have a gun if she felt that she was being threatened or there was someone in the backyard,'&#8221; Dallas Morning News reports.
“It’s only appropriate that Ms. Jefferson would have a gun,” said Lee Merritt, the lawyer representing Jefferson&#8217;s family, noting that she had a license to carry the legally owned firearm. &#8220;When you think there’s someone prowling around in the back at 2 in the morning, you may need to arm yourself. That person could have a gun.”
Merritt stressed that Jefferson legally owned the firearm and was licensed to carry it.
After turning in his badge earlier in the day, Dean was arrested on Monday on murder charges. Shortly afterward, the Fort Worth Police Department issued a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/update-fort-worth-officer-arrested-after-shooting-woman-in-her-house">press release</a> providing some details about the case.
“At approximately 6 p.m., Aaron Dean was arrested for the murder of Ms. Jefferson and he has since been booked in Tarrant County Jail,” the release reads. “Our department is working closely with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office. Our Major Case and Internal Affairs Units are continuing to work around the clock to ensure that no stone is left unturned and justice for Ms. Jefferson’s family and community are served.”
The shooting has sparked outrage from the community, some of the leaders of which suggesting that it may have been racially motivated since the officer is white and Jefferson is black.
Amid the outcry over the shooting, the department released <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/body-cam-video-fort-worth-officer-shoots-woman-in-her-home-after-non-emergency-call">body cam footage</a> on Saturday showing the officers scanning the perimeter of her home using flashlights. After checking a door and some windows, Dean shouts, “Put your hands up! Show me your hands!” He then fired through a bedroom window. The footage ends with two still shots of a handgun in the bedroom, presumably the one Jefferson was holding in self-defense when she was shot.
The video footage does not show the officer announcing that he is with law enforcement, and the neighbor who called the non-emergency police number says the officers parked around the block so their vehicle likely was not visible from inside the house.
Video below (warning: graphic content):
<iframe title="RAW: Fort Worth police release body cam after officers shoot woman in her home" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xpcV0ODTy0Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The badge of a Fort Worth Police officer

UPDATE: Woman Shot By Fort Worth Police Officer In Her Home Pointed Gun At Window

Guns

Law Enforcement

Race

Texas

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) went after presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg on Monday after the South Bend mayor criticized his Democratic rivals over their small donor fundraising strategy and demand for federally-mandated gun confiscation.
&#8220;Small-dollar grassroots campaigns, aka what Buttigieg insults here as &#8216;pocket change,&#8217; out-fundraises him by millions,&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. &#8220;Our nation&#8217;s leaders should not be working to end the era of big money politics, not protect it.&#8221;
&#8220;[And] Beto&#8217;s gun policy isn&#8217;t &#8216;picking a fight,&#8217; it&#8217;s taking a stand,&#8221; she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Small-dollar grassroots campaigns, aka what Buttegieg insults here as “pocket change,” out-fundraise him by millions.
Our nation’s leaders should be working to end the era of big money politics, not protect it.
&amp; Beto’s gun policy isn’t “picking a fight,” it’s taking a stand. <a href="https://t.co/a6k7rgXHiD">https://t.co/a6k7rgXHiD</a>
&mdash; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1183881130107428865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s comments come as O&#8217;Rourke has been facing widespread backlash from both sides of the aisle for demanding that the government seize millions of firearms from law-abiding American citizens.
While O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s declaration that &#8220;hell yes, we&#8217;re going to take away your AR-15 [and] your AK-47&#8221; has received massive applause from his left-wing supporters, many Democratic lawmakers have since been distancing themselves from the divisive rallying cries.
Democrats have long been defending their gun control agenda against claims that the party wants to take away Americans&#8217; firearms. Accordingly, Buttigieg slammed O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s proposal as playing directly into the hands of the Republican Party.
&#8220;Look, right now, we have an amazing moment right here on our hands,&#8221; Buttigieg said in September. &#8220;We have agreement among the American people for not just universal background checks but we have a majority in favor of red flag laws, high capacity magazines, banning the new sale of assault weapons. This is a golden moment to finally do something because we&#8217;ve been arguing about this for as long as I&#8217;ve been alive.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke has touted both Republican and Democratic disapproval of the program, contending that it means he is &#8220;doing something right.&#8221; However, he lashed out at Buttigieg over his condemnation, noting that he was especially &#8220;offended.&#8221;
The radical proposal was largely seen as a last-ditch attempt to bring new life to O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s presidential campaign. The former Texas congressman has been struggling to gain traction in the polls &#8212; he has not broken 5% support since April and is averaging at less than 2% support. After his third quarter fundraising fell far short of his Democratic primary challengers, he sounded the alarm on the need for a &#8220;breakthrough.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a policy disagreement and it is about governing,&#8221; Buttigieg later responded to O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s remarks. &#8220;I get it, I mean he needs to pick a fight in order to stay relevant, but this is about a difference of opinion on policy and my focus right now is getting something done.&#8221;
While Ocasio-Cortez has not clarified her stance on a government-run gun confiscation program, she has been <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-has-four-point-plan-solve-americas-gun-issues-1371990">vocal in her support</a> for various gun control measures such as universal background checks, banning magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, and implementing federally mandated safe storage requirements. She has also called for the U.S. government to ban all semi-automatic firearms, which accounts for the vast majority of guns in the country.
The New York congresswoman has yet to endorse a presidential candidate, but has voiced her praise for Sen. Elizabeth Warren and her progressive policies. Following the Democratic National Committee&#8217;s (DNC) first primary debate, Ocasio-Cortez highlighted Warren&#8217;s performance, noting that she &#8220;really distinguished herself&#8221; and that she even &#8220;knocked it out of the park.&#8221;

Large Climate Demonstration Marks The End Of The C40 World Mayors Summit 2019 In Copenhagen

Ocasio-Cortez Defends Beto&#8217;s Gun Confiscation Plan: It&#8217;s &#8216;Taking A Stand&#8217;

2020 Election

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Pete Buttigieg

At yet another CNN town hall event for Democratic Party presidential hopefuls, former Rep. Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke (D-TX) once again peeled back the Democratic National Committee&#8217;s carefully crafted veneer of political centrism to reveal what the Left really thinks about bedrock American principles.
For weeks, O’Rourke has been touring the country to tell us all about his plan to take away America’s guns. Rather than embrace the importance of this Second Amendment freedom, O’Rourke continually doubles down, often invoking words you can’t say on television to emphasize his seriousness that, under his hypothetical administration, the American government will forcefully disarm its own citizens.
This has pushed some on the Left to turn their metaphorical guns on O’Rourke. These tepid rebukes of the erstwhile wunderkind who nearly toppled Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) sound more like, “Hey, don’t tell everyone what we really think.”
Having staked his position on the Second Amendment Thursday night, Robert Francis O’Rourke turned his attention to the First Amendment. Sagging in the polls, O’Rourke stood opposite CNN’s Don Lemon as Lemon read from one of O’Rourke’s plans. All the longshot presidential hopefuls have a plan, it seems. And every plan is fine-tuned for a niche audience. This was a plan for the LGBTQ+ community.
Lemon noted that O’Rourke’s plan praised freedom of religion as a fundamental right, but one that “should not be used to discriminate.” With that setup, Lemon asked, “Do you think religious institutions, like colleges, churches, charities, should they lose their tax exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage?”
At this point, everyone in the audience knew what O’Rourke’s answer really was. But they also knew what he had to say if he was going to turn the corner after the primary to gain traction in a general election. True to himself, O’Rourke wasted no time in casting off the shackles of centrism. He told the world what the Left really believes.
“Yes,” O’Rourke says, “There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for any one or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us.”
Perhaps O’Rourke came to that conclusion after a discussion with someone in a Buc-ee&#8217;s bathroom. Perhaps it is what he has always thought. Perhaps he tested the answer in focus groups and has plans to double down on his answer in the coming days on the campaign trail.
Whatever the reason, O’Rourke’s answer is revealing for its honesty. While the Obama administration prosecuted nuns over birth control, it at least spoke in platitudes about “freedom to worship.” Celibate nuns may have to pay for birth control, but at least they are afforded a modicum of freedom to practice the worshipful elements of their religion.
Not so for O’Rourke. If a religious entity — religious colleges, charities motivated by religion, and churches adhering to two millennia of doctrine — disagrees with O’Rourke, it forfeits its tax exemption.
That’s a far cry from former Justice Anthony Kennedy’s promise in Obergefell v. Hodges, which emphasized “that religions, and those who adhere to religious doctrines, may continue to advocate with utmost sincere conviction” their religious beliefs regarding human sexuality. Indeed, Kennedy promised that “[t]he First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths.”
Yet under an O’Rourke administration, Kennedy’s promise is only fulfilled when organized religion pays its own freight. Thus, Catholic hospitals, Muslim charities, evangelical soup kitchens, and Orthodox Jewish synagogues might manage to continue their good deeds, but only at a taxable rate. They must hope that their former donors are motivated more by the mission than by the tax incentives that have fueled the billions of dollars of charity that Americans have spread around the globe through religious organizations — charity that has relieved the American government from having to address it on its own.
O’Rourke’s plan has the high hurdle of a body of case law that makes it illegal for the government to deprive citizens of a protected right based upon the viewpoint of the citizen — but that’s not his point. O&#8217;Rourke knows that. Everyone knows that. Just like everyone knows O’Rourke has no legitimate path to presidential victory.
Rather, O’Rourke’s purpose is to expand the borders of the increasingly far-left Democratic Party. If a “churches lose their tax exemption” O’Rourke plan is too much. Then Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) “use [of] the Department of Justice to go after schools” plan is made more palatable and a Warren “pass the Equality Act” plan is practically mainstream. And so the entire political machine lurches just a little further to the left — comfortably on the road to total government control.
O’Rourke will not win the presidency. But he is not supposed to. Laugh, if you must, about his trademark flapping arms and insatiable desire to address crowds while standing on tabletops, but take with deadly seriousness his ability to say what his party is increasingly thinking.
&nbsp;
Jeremy Dys (<a href="https://twitter.com/jeremydys">@JeremyDys</a>) is Special Counsel for Litigation and Communications for First Liberty Institute, a non-profit law firm dedicated to defending religious freedom for all Americans. Read more at <a href="https://firstliberty.org">FirstLiberty.org</a>.

Beto O&#8217;Rourke CNN town hall

DYS: Beto O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s &#8216;Liberty&#8217; Is No Liberty At All

Democratic Party

Don Lemon

First Amendment

Gun Buybacks

Leftism

The 2019-2020 U.S. Supreme Court term officially kicked off today with oral argument in the case of <a href="https://twitter.com/SCOTUSblog/status/1181192452331511810">Kahler v. Kansas</a>. This is the first full term with Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and many conservatives — especially those of a perhaps more sanguine judicial disposition than <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-conservatives-how-much-longer-are-you-josh-hammer">yours truly</a> — eagerly anticipate what they hope will be important rulings in disparate hot-button legal areas such as abortion, gun rights, transgenderism and homosexuality, and immigration. Here are some key cases (with predictions!) and key broader themes to watch for, from a conservative perspective.
Cases
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/gee-v-june-medical-services-llc/">June Medical Services, LLC v. Gee</a>: This is the most important abortion case since 2016&#8217;s disappointing result in <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/15pdf/15-274_new_e18f.pdf">Whole Women&#8217;s Health v. Hellerstedt</a>, which nullified the underlying Texas pro-life statute at issue. In Gee, the justices will grapple with two important questions: (1) Whether Louisiana&#8217;s hospital admitting privileges law for abortionists complies with the &#8220;undue burden&#8221; constitutional standard first promulgated in 1992&#8217;s infamous Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and (2) whether so-called <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/legal-argument-louisiana-could-have-huge-josh-hammer">&#8220;third-party standing&#8221; doctrine for abortionists</a> should be doctrinally revisited. PREDICTION: Kavanaugh and Chief Justice Roberts write a plurality opinion that upholds Louisiana&#8217;s law while very narrowly paring back Casey&#8216;s &#8220;undue burden&#8221; standard. But the chief justice joins liberals to secure continued <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-pence-promises-challenge-nationwide-josh-hammer">liberal standing</a> requirements for abortionists.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/new-york-state-rifle-pistol-association-inc-v-city-of-new-york-new-york/">New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association Inc. v. City of New York, New York</a>: This is the first Second Amendment case that the justices have taken since 2010&#8217;s landmark City of Chicago v. McDonald, which incorporated the individual right to keep and bear arms — as articulated by the Court two years prior in District of Columbia v. Heller — against state governments. In the comparably minor case of City of New York, the nine robed oracles will assess whether New York City&#8217;s <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/new-york-state-rifle-pistol-association-inc-v-city-of-new-york-new-york/">&#8220;ban on transporting a licensed, locked and unloaded handgun to a home or shooting range outside city limits&#8221;</a> is reconcilable with the Second Amendment&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-conservatives-must-not-go-soft-assault-josh-hammer">individual right</a> established in Heller and McDonald. PREDICTION: New York City&#8217;s ban will be overturned on a standard 5-4 ideological judicial split.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/altitude-express-inc-v-zarda/">Altitude Express Inc. v. Zarda </a>(consolidated with <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/bostock-v-clayton-county-georgia/">Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia</a>): In what is perhaps my personally most anticipated consolidated case of the term, the justices will adjudicate whether Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bans employment discrimination because of &#8220;sex,&#8221; necessarily also bans employment discrimination because of sexual orientation. The obvious and common sensical answer, using standard tools of statutory interpretation, is a resounding <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/judge-hos-excellent-opinion-on-title-vii-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-part-1/">&#8220;no.&#8221;</a> But the Court oftentimes does not supply the correct answer in these seemingly straightforward legal questions, especially where cultural currents strongly point in the sexual liberationist direction. PREDICTION: Kavanaugh defects to join the liberals in a 5-4 judicial re-writing of Title VII to accommodate sexual orientation. Thomas and Alito write scathing dissents, as Kavanaugh&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-draw-right-lessons-kavanaughs-bad-start-no-josh-hammer">reputation as moderate</a> is solidified early in his tenure.</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/trump-v-naacp/">Trump v. NAACP</a> (consolidated with two other cases): At long last, the black-robed oracles of the Court will finally deign to decide for us flyover state plebeians whether then-President Barack Obama&#8217;s unconstitutional DACA executive amnesty may be rescinded by President Trump. The very fact that this is a viable legal issue — let alone a high-profile one — is, of course, dispiriting. But much like the so-called &#8220;travel ban&#8221; case of <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/17-965_h315.pdf">Trump v. Hawaii</a>, the presence of the &#8220;orange man&#8221; as a named party to a lawsuit tends to enflame the passions of the judicial <a href="https://www.lawfareblog.com/judicial-resistance">#resistance</a>. PREDICTION: Trump&#8217;s executive rescinding of Obama&#8217;s unconstitutional amnesty is upheld, but only after the chief justice and Kavanaugh first both side with the liberals in erroneously finding that Trump&#8217;s rescinding of the policy is judicially reviewable, in the first instance.</li>
</ol>
Themes
<ol>
<li>Will Kavanaugh move to the right or solidify his centrist bona fides as the chief justice&#8217;s <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/07/supreme-court-bromance-john-roberts-brett-kavanaugh-tie-up-court/3342377002/">wingman</a>? Kavanaugh had a complicated initial partial term on the Court. He found himself in the majority more than any other justice, and emerged as the closest ally on the Court to new, post-Anthony Kennedy &#8220;swing vote&#8221; Chief Justice Roberts. Kavanaugh generally finished the term in strong fashion, although there were a number of hiccups along the way on issues as wide-ranging as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-roberts-and-kavanaughs-death-penalty-josh-hammer">death penalty</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-blown-opportunity-justice-kavanaugh-quickly-josh-hammer">antitrust</a>. I tend toward pessimism when it comes to Kavanaugh — he is, at his core, a Beltway Republican establishmentarian and not a man of Thomas/Scalia-esque originalist juridical convictions. I unfortunately predict more disappointment from Kavanaugh this term, with the consolidated Title VII cases being my best guess for a high-profile case where Kavanaugh will disappoint conservatives.</li>
<li>Will Justice Neil Gorsuch&#8217;s libertarianism — especially on criminal law — continue unabated? While of a decidedly stronger originalist hue than Kavanaugh, Gorsuch&#8217;s second full term on the Court solidified jurisprudential traces that we first saw emerge in his <a href="https://www.conservativereview.com/news/gorsuch-dead-wrong-immigration/">disastrous</a> 2018 concurrence in <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/15-1498_1b8e.pdf">Sessions v. Dimaya</a> — namely, that of pro-criminal libertarianism. Toward the end of last term, Gorsuch ruled in disappointing fashion in the &#8220;unconstitutionally void for vagueness&#8221; case of <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/18pdf/18-431_7758.pdf">U.S. v. Davis</a> and the mens rea requirement case of <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/18pdf/17-9560_e2p3.pdf">U.S. v. Rehaif</a>. In Rehaif, Gorsuch was joined in the majority by Roberts and Kavanaugh, but in Davis — likely the more pernicious of the two, from the perspective of opening the litigation floodgates to habeas corpus challenges — he joined the liberal bloc alone. Criminal law comprises a plurality of the Supreme Court docket, and it is deeply dispiriting for law-and-order conservatives to see Gorsuch emerge as an ally of the Left in judicially imposing de facto jailbreak initiatives. It is easy for a conservative to be tough on Kavanaugh, but Gorsuch&#8217;s mishaps also demand scrutinizing eyes.</li>
<li>How, if at all, will the chief justice respond to bipartisan attacks on the Court? The chief justice, ever concerned with non-legal, extraneous concerns such as the Court&#8217;s &#8220;institutional integrity,&#8221; is <a href="https://theresurgent.com/2019/10/07/because-they-work-get-ready-for-more-attacks-on-john-roberts/">uniquely susceptible</a> to well-orchestrated P.R./media campaigns against him. The chief should expect much more of that this term, as it seems that the current Court pleases no one in particular — be they on the Left or the Right. Roberts has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-kavanaugh-and-gorsuch-have-issues-john-josh-hammer">long been a disappointment</a> to conservatives, and there is little reason to expect him to change course at this stage of his career on the Court. But it will nonetheless be interesting to monitor whether Roberts will feel compelled to speak up in similar fashion to how he did last term, when he <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/11/21/john-roberts-trump-statement/2080266002/">condemned Trump&#8217;s comments</a> about overtly partisan federal judges.</li>
<li>Will conservatives finally resign themselves to ending this <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-conservatives-how-much-longer-are-you-josh-hammer">judicial supremacist charade</a>, once and for all? This is, of course, the most important question of all. In a judicial supremacist world — that is, the anti-constitutional legal hellscape wrought by 1958&#8217;s power grab case of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-it-past-time-trump-openly-defy-court-order-josh-hammer">Cooper v. Aaron</a> — the so-called <a href="https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed78.asp">&#8220;least dangerous&#8221;</a> branch has transmogrified into something much more insidious. Under this faux-legal framework, arguably nothing is more important in the world of federal politics than judicial nominations. But playing the judicial supremacist game is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-conservatives-how-much-longer-are-you-josh-hammer">systemically rigged</a> against conservatives and, ultimately, is un-winnable. Will conservatives ever wake up?</li>
</ol>

U.S. Supreme Court

HAMMER: The Supreme Court Term Begins Today. Here Is What Conservatives Should Look For.

Abortion

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Immigration

Judicial Branch

Judiciary

LGBT

Supreme Court

Former Rep. Beto O&#8217;Rourke (D-TX) slammed his 2020 Democratic Party presidential primary challenger South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday for criticizing O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s signature policy proposal.
&#8220;What Pete has been saying is that a mandatory buyback is the shiny object that is distracting us,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke told reporters after participating in a gun safety forum in Las Vegas, Nevada.
&#8220;How in the world can you say that?&#8221; he continued. &#8220;How in the world can you say that to March for Our Lives? How can you say that to survivors of mass shootings across this country? How can you say that to the majority of hispanics in America, certainly in Texas who fear that they will be the victims of a mass shooting inspired by racism and hatred that&#8217;s been welcomed into the open by this president and has been armed with weapons of war?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
How could you call mandatory buybacks a “shiny object” in front of March For Our Lives? <a href="https://t.co/wSg6ItQT2K">pic.twitter.com/wSg6ItQT2K</a>
&mdash; Beto O&#39;Rourke (@BetoORourke) <a href="https://twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1179552179490676736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s remarks were in reference to comments Buttigieg first made in September during an appearance on CNN. At the time, Buttigieg criticized O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s calls for the federal government to seize millions of firearms from law-abiding American citizens, and noted that the proposal was playing right into the hands of Republicans.
&#8220;Look, right now, we have an amazing moment right here on our hands,&#8221; Buttigieg told CNN host Jake Tapper. &#8220;We have agreement among the American people for not just universal background checks but we have a majority in favor of red flag laws, high-capacity magazines, banning the new sale of assault weapons.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a golden moment to finally do something because we&#8217;ve been arguing about this for as long as I&#8217;ve been alive,&#8221; he added.
O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s demand for a nationwide gun grab comes as he has been facing mounting pressure to drop out of the presidential race. Instead of ending his campaign, he re-branded it for a third time in August with a primary focus on expanding his anti-Second Amendment platform.
The former Texas lawmaker was the first major 2020 Democratic candidate to endorse a federally mandated gun confiscation program for so-called &#8220;assault weapons,&#8221; but a host of his primary challengers have since followed suit. To date, none of the candidates advocating for a mandatory buyback program have defined what constitutes an &#8220;assault weapon.&#8221;
However, the proposal has been a divisive topic for the Democratic Party. While O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s declaration that &#8220;hell yes, we&#8217;re going to take away your AR-15 [and] your AK-47&#8221; has received massive applause from his left-wing supporters, many Democratic lawmakers have since been distancing themselves from the rallying cries.
O&#8217;Rourke has touted both Republican and Democratic disapproval of the program, stating that, &#8220;it shows me we are doing something right.&#8221; But the former congressman has also taken particular offense to Buttigieg&#8217;s condemnation.
&#8220;I was really offended by those comments,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke said. &#8220;I think [Buttigieg] represents a kind of politics that is focused on poll-testing, and focus group-driving, and triangulating, and listening to consultants before you arrive at a position. I think our politics has to be about doing the right thing and saying the right thing.&#8221;

Presidential Candidate Beto O&#8217;Rourke In Los Angeles

WATCH: Beto O&#8217;Rourke Lashes Out At Mayor Pete Over Gun Seizure Remarks: I&#8217;m &#8216;Offended&#8217;

Gun Laws

Warner Bros.&#8217; highly anticipated &#8220;Joker&#8221; standalone DC film starring Joaquin Phoenix has come under fire from critics who fear the film, which depicts a psychologically unstable lead character embracing violence, may glorify mass murder in an era increasingly plagued by mass shootings. Just a few weeks out from the film&#8217;s release, Phoenix reportedly walked out of an interview after being questioned about the film&#8217;s potential culpability in promoting violence, while a group of victims of the Aurora tragedy has sent a letter to the studio calling on the studio to promote gun control and donate money to aid gun violence victims.
&#8220;Family members of those killed in the July 20, 2012, mass shooting at a screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, have signed a letter to Warner Bros. sharing concerns about the upcoming Joker film and asking the studio to donate to groups that aid victims of gun violence,&#8221; <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aurora-shooting-victims-voice-concerns-joker-emotional-letter-warner-bros-1241599">The Hollywood Reporter</a> reported Tuesday.
&#8220;We are calling on you to be a part of the growing chorus of corporate leaders who understand that they have a social responsibility to keep us all safe,&#8221; reads the letter, which was signed by five family members of victims of the Aurora shooting and sent to Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff Tuesday morning. The letter was organized by Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, founders of the nonprofit Survivors Empowered, and Igor Volsky, who works with gun control advocacy group Guns Down America.
The letter &#8220;does not seek to halt the release of the film nor to rally gun critics to boycott it,&#8221; THR reports. &#8220;Rather, it asks the studio to &#8216;end political contributions to candidates who take money from the NRA and vote against gun reform&#8217; and &#8216;use your political clout and leverage in Congress to actively lobby for gun reform. Keeping everyone safe should be a top corporate priority for Warner Brothers.'&#8221;
THR notes that Century Aurora and XD, the remodeled theater where the mass shooter (whose name is here withheld per Daily Wire policy) murdered a dozen people and injured another 70, has already decided not to show the new film.
The letter follows a series of headlines amid a flood of complaints on social media about the &#8220;<a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2019/09/8411843/joker-violence-racist-movie-reaction?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">dangerous</a>&#8221; new film. After reports that Phoenix <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/52093/joaquin-phoenix-flees-interview-when-questioned-if-paul-bois">walked out</a> of one interview in response to questions about the film&#8217;s potential to encourage violence, <a href="https://uk.ign.com/articles/2019/09/23/joker-dangerous-movie-joaquin-phoenix-todd-phillips-interview">IGN</a> published an interview it conducted previously with the actor in which he addressed the issue.
&#8220;Well, I think that, for most of us, you&#8217;re able to tell the difference between right and wrong,&#8221; said Phoenix. &#8220;And those that aren&#8217;t are capable of interpreting anything in the way that they may want to. People misinterpret lyrics from songs. They misinterpret passages from books. So I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s the responsibility of a filmmaker to teach the audience morality or the difference between right or wrong. I mean, to me, I think that that&#8217;s obvious.”
&#8220;I think if you have somebody that has that level of emotional disturbance, they can find fuel anywhere. I just don&#8217;t think that you can function that way,&#8221; he added.
&#8220;It&#8221;s uncomfortable. It&#8217;s uncomfortable for all of us,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think we all are aware of these issues and we&#8217;re concerned, and I think that&#8217;s why we talk about it. I don&#8217;t think that we can be afraid to talk about it. So I understand why you asked that question. But I think the same way that you feel that you need to ask that question and engage in the conversation this way, I think that&#8217;s how I feel as an actor. And that&#8217;s all I have to say.&#8221;
Below is a recently released trailer for &#8220;Joker,&#8221; which hits theaters on October 4:
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zAGVQLHvwOY" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/51450/will-new-joker-film-live-hype-heres-what-critics-james-barrett">Will The New ‘Joker’ Film Live Up To The Hype? Here’s What The Critics Are Saying.</a>

joaquin_phoenix_gi.jpg

‘Joker’ Under Fire: Phoenix Walks Out Of Interview; Shooting Victims Send Letter To Warner Bros

Hollywood

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O&#8217;Rourke recently opened up about the attacks he faced over his demand for a nationwide gun confiscation program, stating that he took pride in condemnation from not only President Donald Trump, but also from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
&#8220;It shows me we are doing something right,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke told reporters Thursday while visiting a marijuana dispensary in Oakland, California, on Thursday. The former Texas congressman further noted that because Schumer, a member of his own party, launched the attack, it signaled that O’Rourke was being authentic.
However, O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s calls for the government to seize firearms from millions of law-abiding citizens have been a divisive topic for the Democratic Party. While his declaration received massive applause from the left-wing crowd at the last Democratic National Committee (DNC) primary debate, many Democratic lawmakers have since been distancing themselves from the rallying cries.
Schumer brushed off O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s gun confiscation plan on Wednesday, telling reporters that he doesn&#8217;t &#8220;know of any other Democrat who agrees&#8221; with the proposal.
&#8220;Ask Chuck Schumer what he&#8217;s been able to get done,&#8221; O’Rourke responded to Schumer&#8217;s dismissal, in comments reported by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/beto-orourke-says-senates-top-democrat-has-accomplished-absolutely-nothing-on-gun-control/2019/09/20/ced58c92-db93-11e9-a688-303693fb4b0b_story.html">The Washington Post</a>. &#8220;We still don&#8217;t have [universal] background checks. Didn&#8217;t have them when he was in the majority either. So, you know, the game that he&#8217;s played, the politics that he&#8217;s pursued have give us absolutely nothing. And have produced a situation where we lose nearly 40,000 of our fellow Americans every year.&#8221;
&#8220;What [Schumer] may not know, but what I hear loud and clear, because I&#8217;m traveling the country listening to my fellow Americans, is that the people are there,&#8221; he added.
While Schumer has largely remained silent on the issue after his initial remarks to reporters, O&#8217;Rourke has continued to defend himself against the Senate&#8217;s top Democrat. O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s presidential campaign swiftly sent out fundraising emails illustrating the popularity of a nationwide gun-grab among Democrats, and O&#8217;Rourke tweeted his case to the minority leader multiple times.
Despite Schumer&#8217;s dismissal of the proposal, he has been a long-time advocate of strict gun reforms. While serving in the House of Representatives in the 1990s, he authored both the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the federal assault weapons ban. Following a recent slew of deadly mass shootings over the summer, Schumer has been urging Congress and the White House to enact an expansive package of gun control legislation that includes universal background checks and red flag laws.
&#8220;Over the last five weeks, I&#8217;ve just been focused on saying what&#8217;s on my mind, being myself,&#8221; O’Rourke told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/23/us/politics/beto-orourke-guns-2020.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">The New York Times</a> on Monday. &#8220;And not really in the slightest being interested in polls, or how things poll, or what you&#8217;re supposed to say.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s campaign, however, has struggled to gain traction and his polling numbers have stalled out in the low single-digits.
After facing mounting pressure to drop out of the race in August, the Democratic presidential hopeful instead re-launched his campaign with a new-found calling to promulgate anti-Second Amendment policies in an attempt to prevent further gun crime.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/52052/hell-no-youre-not-mom-rips-beto-his-face-over-gun-ryan-saavedra">‘HELL NO, YOU’RE NOT!’: Mom Rips Beto To His Face Over Gun Confiscation Plan</a>

Beto Basks In Democratic Leader’s Condemnation: ‘It Shows Me We’re Doing Something Right’

Charles Schumer

With the Democrats increasingly embracing a federal ban on &#8220;assault-style&#8221; rifles and a mandatory gun &#8220;buy-back&#8221; program, Connecticut-based gunmaker Colt announced this week that it is suspending its production of rifles for civilians, including AR-15s, the most popular gun in America.
In a <a href="https://www.colt.com/news/2630?fbclid=IwAR2bNzlGXttrst2OwPNBzoeH1MA4IyjajRUf1SPWj1goqel3mbdKT7mUshk">statement</a> published on Colt&#8217;s website and promoted on social media Thursday, Colt President and CEO Dennis Veilleux said the company has decided to temporarily suspend production of rifles for the civilian market, but made a point of noting that the decision is not motivated by a political agenda and that the company remains &#8220;committed to the Second Amendment.&#8221; Instead, he explained, Colt has determined that the sporting rifles market has reached &#8220;significant excess manufacturing capacity.&#8221;
&#8220;There have been numerous articles recently published about Colt&#8217;s participation in the commercial rifle market,&#8221; the statement reads. &#8220;Some of these articles have incorrectly stated or implied that Colt is not committed to the consumer market. We want to assure you that Colt is committed to the Second Amendment, highly values its customers and continues to manufacture the world&#8217;s finest quality firearms for the consumer market.&#8221;
&#8220;The fact of the matter is that over the last few years, the market for modern sporting rifles has experienced significant excess manufacturing capacity,&#8221; Veilleux continued. &#8220;Given this level of manufacturing capacity, we believe there is adequate supply for modern sporting rifles for the foreseeable future.&#8221;
Colt&#8217;s president goes on to explain that the company has decided to focus its rifle production entirely on fulfilling contracts with the military and law enforcement.
&#8220;On the other hand, our warfighters and law enforcement personnel continue to demand Colt rifles and we are fortunate enough to have been awarded significant military and law enforcement contracts,&#8221; the statement continues. &#8220;Currently, these high-volume contracts are absorbing all of Colt&#8217;s manufacturing capacity for rifles. Colt&#8217;s commitment to the consumer markets, however, is unwavering. We continue to expand our network of dealers across the country and to supply them with expanding lines of the finest quality 1911s and revolvers.&#8221;
He concludes by once again stressing the company&#8217;s pro-Second Amendment stance. &#8220;At the end of the day, we believe it is good sense to follow consumer demand and to adjust as market dynamics change,&#8221; Veilleux writes. &#8220;Colt has been a stout supporter of the Second Amendment for over 180 years, remains so, and will continue to provide its customers with the finest quality firearms in the world. &#8221;
In its report on the announcement, the <a href="https://apnews.com/fbdf5e5f6d654332bbedfaffe3663154">Associated Press</a> notes that Colt &#8220;has received some criticism from gun rights advocates for moving away from the civilian market&#8221; and that pressure on &#8220;assault-style&#8221; weapons has ratcheted up in recent weeks.
Most prominent of those calling for the banning of &#8220;weapons of war&#8221; — particularly AR-15s and AK-47s — is Democratic presidential candidate and former Texas Rep. Beto O&#8217;Rourke, who has shifted the focus of his struggling campaign almost entirely to promoting radical gun control. Among his proposals is a mandatory &#8220;buy-back&#8221; program for all &#8220;assault-style&#8221; rifles, though the candidate has failed to adequately define the term.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/51718/beto-says-hell-yes-were-going-take-americans-guns-james-barrett">Beto Says ‘Hell Yes’ We’re Going To Take Americans’ Guns; WATCH How Democratic Crowd Responds</a>

Colt AR-15

Colt Suspends Production Of Rifles For Civilians, But Says It’s Not Why You Think

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) praised Democratic presidential candidate Beto O&#8217;Rourke on Thursday for being honest about his desire to seize millions of firearms from law-abiding American citizens.
&#8220;Look, there are two groups of people behind these bills,&#8221; Kennedy told Fox News host Sandra Smith while discussing forthcoming gun control legislation.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a group of people who I think in good faith honestly believe that further curtailing our Second Amendment rights will enhance public safety,&#8221; Kennedy said. &#8220;But there&#8217;s another group that just hates the Second Amendment, and I want to thank Congressman Beto O&#8217;Rourke for being honest — I mean, his honesty was refreshing.&#8221;
<div class="embed video fluid-video">Watch the latest video at <a href="https://www.foxnews.com">foxnews.com</a></div>
Kennedy&#8217;s remarks were in reference to O&#8217;Rourke’s recent proposal to implement a federally mandated gun confiscation program for so-called &#8220;assault weapons.&#8221; The anti-Second Amendment plan is so radical that even members of his own party swiftly distanced themselves from the proposal.
&#8220;Beto&#8217;s copy of the Bill of Rights goes from one to three. Mine includes the Second Amendment,&#8221; Kennedy said. &#8220;But there are a whole host of people here in Washington D.C. — not all of my Democratic friends, but many of my Democratic friends — they don’t believe in the Second Amendment.&#8221;
&#8220;They would be happy to confiscate America&#8217;s guns,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And if you don’t believe that, then you probably also still believe in Big Foot. I mean, it&#8217;s a fact and everybody up here knows it.&#8221;
Kennedy, like many Republicans on Capitol Hill, had recently met with Attorney General William Barr to discuss possible gun control legislation in the aftermath of a slew of deadly mass shootings.
The White House is reportedly considering expanding background checks amid mounting public pressure to act. While the plan has largely been unpopular with Republican lawmakers, many are understandably waiting to see the legislation before publicly opining.
Kennedy revealed to Smith that at this point in time, he&#8217;s still not sure if both sides of the aisle will ultimately be able to agree on infringing any further gun rights for American citizens.
&#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t bet my house on it [that something gets done], and if I were betting your house, I&#8217;d probably say maybe,&#8221; the Louisiana senator said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve got to see what the proposals are first. The president&#8217;s opinion matters. I met with Bill Barr yesterday. I think the White House sent him up here because most people in the Senate have great respect for him.&#8221;
Kennedy further noted that when it comes to restricting constitutional rights, the burden is on the lawmakers to prove the necessity in doing so.
&#8220;The Bill of Rights isn&#8217;t an a la carte menu,&#8221; Kennedy said. &#8220;The Second Amendment is just as important as the Fourth and the First.&#8221;
&#8220;As usual, I&#8217;ll probably find what the president has to say to be persuasive, but I want to make it very clear, it&#8217;s dispositive for me,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;If the president puts a bill on the floor that I think curtails or hurts people&#8217;s constitutional rights without substantially enhancing public safety, uh uh, that’s a bridge too far for me. I&#8217;m going to fight for our Constitution.&#8221;

John Kennedy

WATCH: Republican Senator Thanks Beto For His ‘Refreshing’ Honesty On Gun Confiscation

William Barr

After Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) dismissed Democratic presidential candidate former Rep. Beto O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s (D-TX) demand for a nationwide gun confiscation program as unrepresentative of the Democratic Party, O&#8217;Rourke responded with polls showing its support.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know of any other Democrat who agrees with Beto O’Rourke,&#8221; Schumer told reporters during a conference call on Wednesday. &#8220;But it is no excuse not to go forward [with gun control legislation].&#8221;
&#8220;With respect to the Minority Leader, a recent Monmouth University poll found that nearly 70% of Democrats support Beto’s mandatory buyback plan for assault weapons,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s campaign responded in a fundraising email. &#8220;A Washington Post poll found 74% of Democrats support it.&#8221;
The former Texas congressman was the first major 2020 Democratic candidate to endorse a government-run gun seizure program for so-called &#8220;assault weapons,&#8221; but a host of his primary challengers have since followed suit, including members of Schumer&#8217;s own Senate caucus.
&#8220;Even several of Schumer&#8217;s colleagues support Beto’s plan,&#8221; the email continued. &#8220;For example, both Sen. Kamala Harris and Sen. Cory Booker said they back Beto&#8217;s mandatory assault weapons buyback.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke faced widespread blowback after the Democratic National Committee&#8217;s (DNC) third primary debate when he stated in no uncertain terms that if he were to be elected president, he would confiscate millions of firearms from law-abiding American citizens.
&#8220;Hell yes, we&#8217;re going to take away your AR-15, your AK-47,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke said on the debate stage. &#8220;We are not going to allow [them] to be used against our fellow Americans anymore.&#8221;
While his declaration received massive applause from the left-wing crowd, many members of his own party have since distanced themselves from O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s rallying cries. Democratic lawmakers, including those in leadership, have even been sounding the alarm that such an anti-Second Amendment endorsement could be detrimental to Democrats and further fire up the Republican base.
&#8220;Look, Beto would support this even if it weren&#8217;t popular because this is about doing the right thing to end our nation&#8217;s gun violence epidemic,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s campaign email continued. &#8220;But the fact is that the vast majority of Democrats do support Beto&#8217;s plan — which means it&#8217;s time for leadership that embraces bold gun safety reform.&#8221;
Schumer, however, has been working along side House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pass an expansive package of gun control legislation, which includes universal background checks and &#8220;red flag&#8221; laws.
O’Rourke&#8217;s Democratic primary challenger, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, expressed concern days earlier that O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s demand for the federal government to seize firearms from American citizens is playing into the hands of Republicans and may prevent any Democratic-backed legislation from getting passed.
&#8220;Look, right now, we have an amazing member right here on our hands. We have agreement among the American people for not just universal background checks, but we have a majority in favor of red flag laws, high-capacity magazines, and banning the new sale of assault weapons,&#8221; Buttigieg said on CNN over the weekend. &#8220;This is a golden moment to finally do something because we&#8217;ve been arguing about this for as long as I’ve been alive.&#8221;
&#8220;Leaving millions of weapons of war on the streets because Trump and McConnell are &#8216;at least pretending to be open to reform&#8217;?&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke responded to the South Bend mayor. &#8220;That calculation and fear is what got us here in the first place. Let&#8217;s have the courage to say what we believe and fight for it.&#8221;

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaking at the press

Chuck Schumer Claims Democrats Don’t Support Gun Confiscation. Beto Proves Him Wrong.

On Wednesday, Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat representing West Virginia, blasted presidential contender Robert Francis &#8220;Beto&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke over his radical anti-gun rhetoric.
O&#8217;Rourke promised Americans during the last Democratic presidential primary debate that &#8220;hell yes,&#8221; he&#8217;s going to take law-abiding citizens&#8217; guns, such as AR-15s and AK-47s.
&#8220;Beto&#8217;s one human being. He gave his own opinion, OK?&#8221; Sen. Manchin told Wall Street Journal reporter Lindsay Wise. &#8220;I think it was very harmful to make it look like all the Democrats.&#8221;
&#8220;I can tell you one thing: [Beto O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s] not taking my guns away from me,&#8221; Manchin added. &#8220;You tell Beto that OK?&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Dem Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeManchinWV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeManchinWV</a> on Beto pledge to confiscate AR15s:
&#8220;Beto&#8217;s one human being. He gave his own opinion, OK? I think it was very harmful to make it look like all the Democrats. I can tell you one thing: <a href="https://twitter.com/BetoORourke?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BetoORourke</a>&#8216;s not taking my guns away from me. You tell Beto that OK?&#8221;
— Lindsay Wise (@lindsaywise) <a href="https://twitter.com/lindsaywise/status/1174378345594806278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Following the blistering message to the fellow Democrat, Manchin&#8217;s office made it clear to NBC News that the senator does not own any AR-15s, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/462019-manchin-beto-orourke-is-not-taking-my-guns-away-from-me">The Hill.</a>
&#8220;FYI, per his office, Sen Manchin does NOT own an AR-type weapon, so Beto&#8217;s buyback program wouldn&#8217;t affect him,&#8221; posted NBC reporter Frank Thorp V.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">FYI, per his office, Sen Manchin does NOT own an AR-type weapon, so Beto&#8217;s buyback program wouldn&#8217;t affect him. <a href="https://t.co/Gqw4uPy7Ah">https://t.co/Gqw4uPy7Ah</a>
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) <a href="https://twitter.com/frankthorp/status/1174412138569437185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Hell yes, we&#8217;re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke proudly bellowed during Thursday&#8217;s debate. The failed Senate candidate has used extreme language to bring in campaign dollars. He&#8217;s also claimed law-abiding citizens with AR-15s and AK-47s are eager to hand over their guns to the government for a so-called &#8220;buy back&#8221; program.
O&#8217;Rourke recently told MSNBC&#8217;s Joy Reid, &#8220;Texans who own AR-15s, they&#8217;ve told me, &#8216;I don&#8217;t need this. I don&#8217;t need it to hunt, I don&#8217;t need it to protect myself &#8230; if giving this back, or cutting it to pieces, or selling it to the gov helps to keep us safer, then by all means do it,'&#8221; reported The Daily Wire&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1172899392312885250">Ryan Saavedra</a>.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Beto O&#8217;Rourke with another: “Texans who own AR-15s, they’ve told me, &#8216;I don’t need this. I don’t need it to hunt, I don’t need it to protect myself…if giving this back, or cutting it to pieces, or selling it to the gov helps to keep us safer, then by all means do it’” <a href="https://t.co/am73OpOC8A">pic.twitter.com/am73OpOC8A</a>
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1172899392312885250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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According to the Texas Tribune&#8217;s Patrick Svitek, O’Rourke also claimed a &#8220;longtime Republican&#8221; told him he&#8217;s all in for gun confiscation while they were standing next to one another in the bathroom, apparently urinating.
&#8220;New O&#8217;Rourke anecdote: He says a longtime Republican chatted him up today in [Buc-ee&#8217;s Beaver] bathroom on guns,&#8221; posted Svitek. &#8220;He said, &#8216;This is gonna be strange — not strange that I&#8217;m talking to you while we&#8217;re both at a urinal &#8230; but strange because I&#8217;m telling you you&#8217;re absolutely right on guns.’”
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New O&#8217;Rourke anecdote: He says a longtime Republican chatted him up today in <a href="https://twitter.com/bucees?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BUCEES</a> bathroom on guns. &#8220;He said, &#8216;This is gonna be strange — not strange that I’m talking to you while we’re both at a urinal &#8230; but strange because I&#8217;m telling you you&#8217;re absolutely right on guns.&#8221;
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickSvitek/status/1172932837630185472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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There has, however, been push-back by actual gun owners, as we&#8217;ve seen with Manchin, who&#8217;s notably a Democrat, though very moderate.
The Daily Wire&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/51381/hammer-i-will-never-ever-let-government-buy-back-josh-hammer">Josh Hammer</a> wrote a piece explaining why the American people do need their AR-15s, and bluntly stated that he would not oblige with such government confiscation, writing in part:
<blockquote>No. I will not oblige. My <a href="https://twitter.com/josh_hammer/status/1104844636558905345">staggeringly awesome</a> so-called &#8220;assault weapon,&#8221; replete as it is with multiple sights, numerous &#8220;high-capacity&#8221; magazines, and hundreds and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, is the ultimate guardian of my life and liberty. It is, in Kozinski&#8217;s &#8220;doomsday&#8221; scenario, the final fail-safe mechanism that, if all else were to fail in America and tyranny or anarchy were to reign, still gives me a chance to defend home, hearth, family, and self. It is the weapon that the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/10/10/the-warsaw-ghetto-uprising-armed-jews-vs-nazis/">Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising</a>, much like oppressed people living under <a href="https://twitter.com/SamElizabethan/status/1168281769277370368">totalitarian regimes</a> the whole world over, wished they could have had. Such weapons are — here, there, and everywhere — the ultimate guardians of a citizenry&#8217;s freedom.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/51940/watch-beto-finally-reveals-how-he-will-enforce-his-molly-prince">WATCH: Beto Finally Reveals How He Will Enforce His Gun Confiscation Program</a>

Joe Manchin

Democrat Joe Manchin Offers Blistering Message To O’Rourke On Guns: ‘You Tell Beto That OK?’

Democratic presidential candidate former Rep. Beto O&#8217;Rourke (D-TX) revealed on Wednesday that if elected to the presidency, he will enforce a nationwide gun confiscation program by fining any American who does not hand over their firearms to the government.
&#8220;I begin by saying that we expect our fellow Americans to follow the law,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke told reporters while on the campaign trail. &#8220;If they do not, there would be a fine imposed to compel them to follow the law.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Question: what happens if people don’t sell their guns back to the govt&#8230;.answer: <a href="https://t.co/wGuXJlBZQG">pic.twitter.com/wGuXJlBZQG</a>
— Teresa Riley (@TeresaRFox4) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeresaRFox4/status/1173340287311208449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The former congressman has faced massive backlash for demanding that the federal government seize millions of firearms from law-abiding citizens. However, he has also been noticeably vague about how the federally mandated program would work in the event that Americans refuse to voluntarily turn in their firearms.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve seen this implemented successfully in Australia, where you&#8217;ve seen a near-50% reduction in gun violence deaths in that country,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke said. &#8220;They estimate that between 16 and 20 mass shootings have been averted so far.&#8221;
&#8220;Take it from the people in El Paso and Midland-Odessa, if we can avoid one of those mass shootings, we absolutely should,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And if we can do so while protecting your Second Amendment rights — you still have a gun to hunt, you still have a gun to protect yourself, you can still take your kids out and teach them how to use those firearms or take them on a hunting trip — then let’s do that. And that&#8217;s the path that’s open to us right now in this country.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s demand for a nationwide gun grab comes as he has been facing mounting pressure to drop out of the presidential race. Instead of ending his campaign, he re-branded it for a third time in August with a primary focus on his anti-gun platform.
O&#8217;Rourke was the first major 2020 Democratic candidate to endorse a government-run gun confiscation program for so-called &#8220;assault weapons,&#8221; but a host of his primary challengers have since followed suit. To date, none of the candidates have provided a clear definition of what constitutes an &#8220;assault weapon.&#8221;
The former Texas lawmaker faced a wave of criticism for what many consider to be a dangerous proposal — implementing such a program could lead to violent clashes, as Americans fear that they would be losing their right to defend themselves and their families.
O&#8217;Rourke has responded to the alarm bells by contending that his program would not require law enforcement to go to the homes of gun owners to seize the newly prohibited firearms. He also criticized the warnings as &#8220;not helpful&#8221; because they are &#8220;self-fulfilling.&#8221;
&#8220;How do we enforce any law?&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke replied when last week when asked about the logistics of is plan. &#8220;I mean, there&#8217;s a significant reliance on people complying with the law.&#8221;
&#8220;You know, that law is not created in a vacuum, it will have the input of members of Congress who are going to reflect their constituents&#8217; interests,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And, at the end of the day, I think we&#8217;re going to get to a solution that protects your Second Amendment rights while protecting the lives of everyone in this country. I&#8217;m confident America can do it.&#8221;

beto.jpg

WATCH: Beto Finally Reveals How He Will Enforce His Gun Confiscation Program

Former Republican New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu criticized Democratic presidential candidate Beto O&#8217;Rourke on Monday for promulgating policies so far outside the mainstream that even his own party is becoming frustrated.
&#8220;He really is desperate at this point and will say just about anything to get a headline,&#8221; Sununu told Fox News host Bill Hemmer. &#8220;You gave him a headline and so he will probably continue to say silly things like that that will irritate both his Democrats and the Republicans.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/BillHemmer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillHemmer</a> spoke with <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorSununu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovernorSununu</a> after <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSchumer</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerPelosi</a> tell the president gun control must include universal background checks <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nine2noon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nine2noon</a> <a href="https://t.co/hfVeUTgYIH">pic.twitter.com/hfVeUTgYIH</a>
— America&#8217;s Newsroom (@AmericaNewsroom) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericaNewsroom/status/1173588387749650432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Sununu&#8217;s remarks were in reference to comments that O&#8217;Rourke made during the Democratic National Committee&#8217;s third presidential primary debate on Thursday. While participating in the event, the former Texas congressman declared that if he were to be elected president, he would seize certain firearms from law-abiding citizens.
&#8220;Hell yes, we&#8217;re going to take away your AR-15, your AK-47,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke said at the time. &#8220;We are not going to allow it to be used against our fellow Americans anymore.&#8221;
While the declaration received massive cheers from the left-wing audience, many of his fellow Democrats swiftly distanced themselves from the anti-Second Amendment calls.
Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), who serves in the House Democratic leadership, stated over the weekend that there is no basis for Americans’ worries that Democrats are proposing gun confiscation. He added that O’Rourke’s message &#8220;doesn&#8217;t help&#8221; the party.
&#8220;Well, it just confirms that Beto O&#8217;Rourke has slipped into the role of the immature pest that even the Democrats want out of the process,&#8221; Sununu responded to Cicilline.
Sununu, the former White House chief of staff under President George H.W. Bush, also slammed the Democratic leadership for refusing to back any legislation aimed at reducing gun violence unless part of its own left-wing agenda was also passed.
&#8220;This morning we made it clear to the president that any proposal he endorses that does not include the House-passed universal background checks legislation will not get the job done, as dangerous loopholes still exist and people who should not have guns will still get access,&#8221; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in a statement.
Schumer and Pelosi&#8217;s pressure campaign comes as a bipartisan delegation has been working on crafting a gun control legislative package, which reportedly includes expanding background checks and provisions dealing with mental health issues. It is unclear if the proposal will ultimately include universal background checks that would place additional burdens on private sales.
&#8220;I find it interesting that as soon as word got out that Democratic senators and Republican senators were getting close on a compromise, Pelosi and Schumer decide to draw a line in the sand which they know will make it extremely difficult to get to a piece of legislation,&#8221; Sununu said. &#8220;I think it underscores the fact that Democrats would rather talk about this issue than get any legislation passed.&#8221;
&#8220;I think that everybody, Republicans and Democrats, should demand a test on whatever is proposed and explain how whatever legislation they&#8217;re going to support would have dealt with the reality of the tragedies that have occurred over the past few years,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;The fact is that even universal background checks would not have had much of an impact at all because most of those guns were either acquired legally through a background check, or stolen, or some other nefarious way.&#8221;

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WATCH: Former New Hampshire Gov Slams O’Rourke As An ‘Immature Pest’

Former Rep. Beto O&#8217;Rourke (D-TX) urged his supporters on Sunday to donate money to the challenger of a Texas state legislator whom the presidential hopeful reported to the FBI for what he considered a death threat.
&#8220;Texas lawmaker Briscoe Cain tweeted a death threat at Beto after Thursday night&#8217;s debate,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s 2020 campaign wrote in an email. &#8220;Twitter removed it and we reported him to the FBI. But then — and this is truly unbelievable — Fox News invited Cain to be on primetime TV last night so he could joke around about the death threat and raise money for his campaign. Absolutely despicable.&#8221;
&#8220;So here&#8217;s what we&#8217;re going to do: We&#8217;re going to raise a bunch of money today for the Democrat running against Cain, Josh Markle,&#8221; the email continued. &#8220;We need ALL hands on deck because Cain probably raised tens of thousands of dollars for his campaign last night on Fox News.&#8221;
After struggling to gain traction in the polls, O&#8217;Rourke faced increased pressure during the summer to drop out of the presidential race. Rather than ending his campaign, O&#8217;Rourke re-launched it — making his anti-gun policies the cornerstone to his platform. Days later, the former Texas congressman announced his support for federally mandated gun confiscation for all so-called &#8220;assault weapons.&#8221;
While participating in the Democratic National Committee&#8217;s third presidential primary debate on Thursday, O&#8217;Rourke declared in no uncertain terms that if he were to be elected president, he would impose a nationwide confiscation program to seize tens of millions of firearms from law-abiding citizens.
&#8220;Hell yes, we&#8217;re going to take away your AR-15, your AK-47,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke said at the time. &#8220;We are not going to allow it to be used against our fellow Americans anymore.&#8221;
The declaration received massive cheers from O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s left-wing base. However, even members of his own party have been subsequently warning that such an anti-Second Amendment provocation could prove politically detrimental to Democrats by inadvertently firing up the Republican base.
Accordingly, Republican Texas state Rep. Briscoe Cain took issue with O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s calls for action, and tweeted at the presidential hopeful, &#8220;My AR is ready for you Robert Francis.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is a death threat, Representative. Clearly, you shouldn&#8217;t own an AR-15—and neither should anyone else. <a href="https://t.co/jsiZmwjMDs">pic.twitter.com/jsiZmwjMDs</a>
— Beto O&#8217;Rourke (@BetoORourke) <a href="https://twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1172359875093061632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This is a death threat, Representative,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke responded. &#8220;Clearly, you shouldn&#8217;t own an AR-15 — and neither should anyone else.&#8221;
Cain, however, denied that he was threatening O&#8217;Rourke. He further defended his language, stating that it was a nod to the Battle of Gonzales, the first armed engagement of the Texas Revolution.
&#8220;He&#8217;s threatened to trespass on my property and the property of others or to kick down our door and take from us,&#8221; Cain said while appearing on Fox News. &#8220;What I wrote really is just another way of saying, &#8216;Come and Take It.'&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s campaign, however, endorsed Cain&#8217;s Democratic challenger and urged supporters to donate to help unseat the Republican state lawmaker.
&#8220;Last year, Briscoe Cain ran completely unopposed. This time, we have a Democrat running to defeat him. Josh [Markle] served in the Air Force before moving to the Houston area to pursue computer science. He now works for a sign language interpreting agency that serves the deaf community of Southeast Texas,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s campaign wrote. &#8220;The more money we can raise for Josh today, the stronger and clearer our message to Cain becomes. So please make your donations right now.&#8221;

Beto Fundraises For Challenger Of Lawmaker Who Allegedly Threatened Him

A feud has erupted between presidential candidates Beto O&#8217;Rourke and Pete Buttigieg over the issue of gun control. In response to Buttigieg&#8217;s criticism of his extreme gun control plan of mandatory buybacks for AR-15s and AK-47s, Beto resorted to what has become the trademark of his floundering campaign: expletives.
Last Thursday, O&#8217;Rourke scored big points far-left progressives when he said that government would &#8220;take&#8221; people&#8217;s guns, which many Democrats felt went too far, believing that it would turn gun owners against the Democratic Party.
&#8220;We’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47, and we’re not going to allow it to be used against your fellow Americans anymore,&#8221; he said.
As reported by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pete-buttigieg-beto-orourke-gun-control-ar15">Fox News</a>, when appearing on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; on Sunday, O&#8217;Rourke doubled-down on his call to ban &#8220;weapons of war,&#8221; citing the horrible wounds that people suffered during the shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.
&#8220;Talking to those doctors and trauma room surgeons who treated those victims in El Paso, they said these are wounds of war—that high-impact, high-velocity round, when it hit their systems, just shredded everything inside of them,” O’Rourke said. &#8220;I refuse to accept that, and I refuse to even acknowledge the politics, or the polling, or the fear of the NRA that has purchased the complicity and silence of members of Congress and this weak response to a real tragedy in America.&#8221;
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), however, told <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/politics/chriscoons-buybacks-gunviolence-betoorourke/2019/09/15/id/932740/">CNN &#8220;Newsroom&#8221;</a> that O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s rhetoric was making the situation worse for gun control advocates.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think having our presidential candidates, like Congressman O&#8217;Rourke did, say that we&#8217;re going to try and take people&#8217;s guns against their will is a wise either policy or political move,&#8221; Coons said, as noted by <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/politics/chriscoons-buybacks-gunviolence-betoorourke/2019/09/15/id/932740/#ixzz5zeuXVRy6">Newsmax</a>. &#8220;I respect what is motivating Congressman O&#8217;Rourke, but I don&#8217;t think as a policy position that&#8217;s going to stand muster.&#8221;
Fellow presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg agreed that O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s statement will only bolster the Second Amendment advocates.
&#8220;Look, right now we have an amazing moment on our hands,&#8221; said the Indiana mayor. &#8220;We have agreement among the American people not just for universal backgrounds checks, but we have a majority in favor of red-flag laws, high-capacity magazines, banning the new sale of assault weapons. This is a golden moment to finally do something.&#8221;
&#8220;When even this president and even [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell are at least are pretending to be open to reforms, we know that we have a moment on our hand. Let’s make the most of it and get these things done,&#8221; he concluded.
O&#8217;Rourke responded by firing off a tweet in which he said that critics of his position are capitulating to &#8220;calculation and fear.&#8221; He tweeted, &#8220;Leaving millions of weapons of war on the streets because Trump and McConnell are ‘at least pretending to be open to reforms’? That calculation and fear is what got us here in the first place. Let’s have the courage to say what we believe and fight for it,&#8221; he tweeted.
&#8220;When candidates say, &#8216;At least Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell are pretending to be interested,&#8217; sh&#8211;, that is not enough. Neither is poll-testing your message. Gun violence is a life or death issue—and we have to represent the bold ideas of people all over the country,&#8221; he later added.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Leaving millions of weapons of war on the streets because Trump and McConnell are “at least pretending to be open to reforms”?
That calculation and fear is what got us here in the first place. Let’s have the courage to say what we believe and fight for it. <a href="https://t.co/SSnFT600Vm">https://t.co/SSnFT600Vm</a>
— Beto O&#8217;Rourke (@BetoORourke) <a href="https://twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1173265866131234821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/51799/beto-claims-texas-gun-owners-want-gun-confiscation-amanda-prestigiacomo">Beto Claims Texas Gun Owners Want Gun Confiscation. Actual Texas Gun Owner Levels Him In One Tweet.</a>

Beto Blasts Buttigieg: &#8216;Sh**, That Is Not Enough&#8217;

Presidential hopeful Robert Francis &#8220;Beto&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke has oft-repeated the claim that Texas gun owners are eager to have their guns, such as their legally owned AR-15s and AK-47s, confiscated from them by the government.
On Saturday, for example, the Democrat told MSNBC&#8217;s Joy Reid, &#8220;Texans who own AR-15s, they&#8217;ve told me, &#8216;I don&#8217;t need this. I don&#8217;t need it to hunt, I don&#8217;t need it to protect myself &#8230; if giving this back, or cutting it to pieces, or selling it to the gov helps to keep us safer, then by all means do it,'&#8221; reported The Daily Wire&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1172899392312885250">Ryan Saavedra</a>.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Beto O&#8217;Rourke with another : “Texans who own AR-15s, they’ve told me, &#8216;I don’t need this. I don’t need it to hunt, I don’t need it to protect myself…if giving this back, or cutting it to pieces, or selling it to the gov helps to keep us safer, then by all means do it’” <a href="https://t.co/am73OpOC8A">pic.twitter.com/am73OpOC8A</a>
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1172899392312885250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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On the same day, Texas Tribune&#8217;s Patrick Svitek reported that O&#8217;Rourke claimed a &#8220;longtime Republican&#8221; spoke to him in the bathroom while they were urinating, telling the Democrat he&#8217;s all in for the gun confiscation.
&#8220;New O&#8217;Rourke anecdote: He says a longtime Republican chatted him up today in [Buc-ee&#8217;s Beaver] bathroom on guns,&#8221; posted Svitek. &#8220;He said, &#8216;This is gonna be strange — not strange that I&#8217;m talking to you while we&#8217;re both at a urinal &#8230; but strange because I&#8217;m telling you you&#8217;re absolutely right on guns.'&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New O&#8217;Rourke anecdote: He says a longtime Republican chatted him up today in <a href="https://twitter.com/bucees?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BUCEES</a> bathroom on guns. &#8220;He said, &#8216;This is gonna be strange — not strange that I’m talking to you while we’re both at a urinal &#8230; but strange because I&#8217;m telling you you&#8217;re absolutely right on guns.&#8221;
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickSvitek/status/1172932837630185472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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O&#8217;Rourke echoed similar suspect claims during last week&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1172317454246113282">Democratic presidential primary debate</a>, and at other <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1173020736786595841">campaign events</a>.
The stories from Mr. O&#8217;Rourke have grabbed the attention of actual Texas gun owners.
The Blaze&#8217;s Jason Howerton, for example, took the Democrat to task over the claim. &#8220;Hey, [Beto O&#8217;Rourke], actual Texan here,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;I regret to inform you that your request to buy my legally purchased firearms has been denied after your background check revealed a criminal record.&#8221;
&#8220;Don&#8217;t want to take any chances. Xoxo,&#8221; Howerton said, adding a kiss-face emoji.
Ouch.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Hey, <a href="https://twitter.com/BetoORourke?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BetoORourke</a>, actual Texan here.
I regret to inform you that your request to buy my legally purchased firearms has been denied after your background check revealed a criminal record.
Don’t want to take any chances. Xoxo <a href="https://t.co/GAT1KRh0xy">https://t.co/GAT1KRh0xy</a>
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) <a href="https://twitter.com/jason_howerton/status/1172996380979290116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Howerton was referring to the failed Senate candidate&#8217;s past run-in with the law. In 1998, O&#8217;Rourke was arrested for drunk driving. According to the <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Police-reports-detail-Beto-O-Rourke-s-1998-13195088.php">Houston Chronicle</a>, the police report, which was newly obtained by the outlet last year, claimed that &#8220;there was a crash involved&#8221; and that &#8220;O&#8217;Rourke allegedly attempted to flee.&#8221;
Saavedra <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/35320/ted-cruz-challenger-beto-orourke-tried-flee-scene-ryan-saavedra">reported</a> last August:
<blockquote>&#8220;A reporter who witnessed the crash said that he observed O&#8217;Rourke traveling at a &#8216;high rate of speed’ in a 75-mph zone as O’Rourke then ‘lost control of the vehicle and struck a truck.&#8217;
O&#8217;Rourke then reportedly attempted to flee the scene of the crash after hitting someone, but the reporter was there to stop him from getting away.&#8221;</blockquote>
Other Texans pushed back on O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s tales of gun owners, too.
&#8220;Texan here,&#8221; said Red State&#8217;s Brandon Morse. &#8220;I rate this a Texas sized lie.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Texan here.
I rate this a Texas sized lie. <a href="https://t.co/Ub1VKgSrVy">https://t.co/Ub1VKgSrVy</a>
— Brandon Morse (@TheBrandonMorse) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBrandonMorse/status/1173008235994976256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;As an American who lived in Texas for a year, I feel confident in saying this is bull,&#8221; wrote Daily Caller associate editor Virginia Kruta.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As an American who lived in Texas for a year, I feel confident in saying this is bull. <a href="https://t.co/HRXVwn3zhL">https://t.co/HRXVwn3zhL</a>
— Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) <a href="https://twitter.com/VAKruta/status/1173029391007453184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Managing Director of Breitbart Texas Brandon Darby posted: &#8220;I&#8217;m as Texan as anyone and this is BS. Born in Pasadena, Texas.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m as Texan as anyone and this is BS. Born in Pasadena, Texas. <a href="https://t.co/4kXru73wuo">https://t.co/4kXru73wuo</a>
— Brandon Darby (@brandondarby) <a href="https://twitter.com/brandondarby/status/1173376521966194688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Daily Wire Editor-at-Large Josh Hammer, who has lived in both Houston and Dallas, told &#8220;Beto&#8221; to &#8220;come and take it,&#8221; captioning a piece he penned, titled: &#8220;I Will Never, Ever Let The Government &#8216;Buy Back&#8217; My &#8216;Assault Weapon.'&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Dear Beto,
Come and take it. <a href="https://t.co/MaxDpiyASv">https://t.co/MaxDpiyASv</a>
— Josh Hammer (@josh_hammer) <a href="https://twitter.com/josh_hammer/status/1172314393066913793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Robert &#8216;Beto&#8217; O&#8217;Rourke

Beto Claims Texas Gun Owners Want Gun Confiscation. Actual Texas Gun Owner Levels Him In One Tweet.

Thomas Fahr Steyer, a California-based billionaire and leftist activist focusing on environmental issues, is a candidate for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination. Steyer, a longtime leftist philanthropist and prolific donor to Democratic candidates and causes, is by far the wealthiest candidate in the 2020 Democratic field. Steyer&#8217;s political activism has focused disproportionately on environmentalism and global warming/climate change issues, although he has the political profile of an across-the-board, full-spectrum progressive/leftist. As the most recent entrant into the 2020 Democratic presidential field, he does not yet register in <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/democratic_nomination_polls/">current polling for the nomination</a>.
Steyer, who has a bachelor degree from Yale University and a MBA from Stanford University, is the founder of San Francisco-based hedge fund Farallon Capital and the co-founder of Oakland-based Beneficial State Bank. In 2012, Steyer stepped down from Farallon in order to focus more of his time on environmentalist/alternative energy advocacy. In addition to his involvement with Beneficial State Bank, which focuses on community development, Steyer has been involved with other leftist philanthropic causes — including his <a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Tom-Steyer-says-effort-to-end-inequality-isn-t-6438690.php">2015 founding</a> of the Fair Shake Commission on Income Inequality and Middle Class Opportunity, which promotes reducing income inequality. But above all, Steyer has spent more time and resources on environmentalist activism. In 2013, for example, Steyer founded NextGen America, an environmentalist nonprofit and political action committee.
Steyer, who would become the first president with a Jewish parent if successfully elected, is married and has four children. He has an <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/thomas-steyer/">estimated net worth</a> of $1.6 billion, and has committed self-funding his 2020 presidential bid to the tune of <a href="https://time.com/5623149/tom-steyer-presidential-campaign/">$100 million</a>.
Electoral History: Steyer has never sought political office prior to his current campaign for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination. However, he has a lengthy history of involvement in partisan Democratic causes. Steyer has been a prolific fundraiser for many leading Democrats over the past few decades, including for Barack Obama in 2008. Steyer also spoke at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, and reportedly considered a 2018 run for California governor.
On The Issues: Perhaps more so than any of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, Steyer&#8217;s candidacy revolves around one core issue: Environmentalism. He has made global warming prevention, opposition to the oil and natural gas industries, and a concomitant greater government role in investing in alternative energy sources the central tenets of his public activist profile. Steyer has a less prolific track record and history of commentary on other issues, but all available evidences points toward his being an across-the-board, full-spectrum progressive/leftist. For example, his 2020 campaign <a href="https://www.tomsteyer.com/about-tom/">website</a> also touts his work in &#8220;promot[ing] social justice and increas[ing] participation in our democracy through voter registration and grassroots organizing.&#8221;
Constitution: Steyer has a very thin public record of commenting on legal and judicial issues. He has, however, been a prominent advocate for impeaching President Donald Trump. Steyer has stated that he opposes Citizens United v. F.E.C., the U.S. Supreme Court&#8217;s landmark 2010 political speech-affirming case. He also <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/12/megadonor-steyer-abortion-rights-candidates-241563">supports</a> Roe v. Wade, thus indicating a belief in the so-called constitutional &#8220;right to privacy&#8221; and &#8220;right to abortion.&#8221; Steyer has suggested sympathy for gun control measures that would undermine Americans&#8217; Second Amendment rights, and he also supports a robust role for the federal government in economic regulation that is consistent with mainstream legal progressivism.
Economy: Steyer supports raising personal taxes and strongly opposed President Trump&#8217;s 2017 tax cut law. In his 2020 campaign announcement video, Steyer <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-does-tom-steyer-believe-where-the-candidate-stands-on-6-issues">lamented</a> how corporations have an &#8220;unlimited ability to participate in politics, [which] will skew everything because they only care about profits.&#8221; His anti-corporation message is also decidedly populist, as Steyer has also <a href="https://www.axios.com/tom-steyer-on-the-issues-in-under-500-words-2020-presidential-election-2e5a747a-b6bf-459d-a581-e7d1efcd75bd.html">said</a> that &#8220;the only way for us to solve the urgent problems facing our country is to loosen the stranglehold that corporations have over our politicians and return political power to the American people.&#8221; Like many of his 2020 Democratic rivals, Steyer also <a href="https://www.latimes.com/la-pol-sac-essential-poli-tom-steyer-praises-minimum-wage-hike-1459196428-htmlstory.html">supports</a> raising the federal minimum wage. Steyer, though a billionaire, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/12/this-billionaire-wants-trump-to-raise-his-taxes.html">vocally opposes</a> income inequality.
Health Care: Steyer <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/tom-steyer-2020-democrats/540357/">supports</a> &#8220;Medicare for All,&#8221; which would effectively amount to a single-payer health insurance system and a de facto governmental takeover of health insurance and imposition of socialized medicine in America. He <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-does-tom-steyer-believe-where-the-candidate-stands-on-6-issues">has been critical</a> of the perceived corporate greed of large pharmaceutical companies.
Immigration: Steyer has been harshly critical of the Trump administration&#8217;s attempts to secure our border amidst a hitherto unprecedented influx there of Central American migrants. Steyer <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/392482-billionaire-steyer-to-invest-1-million-to-help-immigrants-fight">donated</a> last year to leftist/open-borders legal groups at the southern border working to assist illegal aliens facing deportation. He <a href="https://twitter.com/TomSteyer/status/1146079566374457344">addresses</a> illegal immigration in starkly pro-illegal alien — and not rule-of-law — terminology. Steyer appears to <a href="https://nextgenamerica.org/issues/immigration/">support</a> a pathway to citizenship for much of America&#8217;s illegal alien populace.
Foreign Policy: Steyer has a thin track record on foreign policy, although he <a href="https://twitter.com/TomSteyer/status/1005947721361121281?s=20">has been critical</a> of President Trump&#8217;s foreign policy approach. He has also taken the standard leftist approach to Special Counsel Bob Mueller&#8217;s now-infamous report: <a href="https://www.needtoimpeach.com/obstruction-of-justice/">Accusing</a> President Trump of obstruction of justice.
Abortion: Steyer is <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Thomas_Steyer">emphatically pro-abortion</a>.
Guns: Steyer has founded organizations have <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Thomas_Steyer">worked closely</a>, at times, with anti-Second Amendment organizations. He is largely seen as sympathetic to gun control initiatives.

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