Stacey Abrams Struggles to Respond to Jake Tapper about Gun Confiscation
CNN’s Jake Tapper took on far-left Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Sunday over her support for confiscating guns from law-abiding Americans and for her support for banning semi-automatic rifles.
Abrams, who said last month that she wants to ban semi-automatic rifles if she is elected governor, appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” where she once again said that semi-automatic rifles must be banned in the state.
Jake Tapper challenging Jay Carney on the Obama administration handling Libya – screenshot to CSPAN video
“When you were a state lawmaker in 2016, you co-sponsored a bill that would have allowed Georgia state authorities to take away so-called assault weapons from current gun owners,” Tapper began. “Most similar bans would grandfather in existing weapons of that sort, semiautomatic rifles that are called assault weapons. So, is that your current position, that law-abiding gun owners in Georgia should have to give up those weapons, if authorities deem it necessary?”
“In the state of Georgia, you introduce legislation to start conversations,” Abrams said as she tried to dodge answering the question. “I am happy to work with the legislature to figure out how we make an assault weapons ban work.”
“AR-15s are not necessary on our streets,” Abrams continued, as she continued to express her support for banning semi-automatic weapons.
“Well, just to be clear, you were one of six co-sponsors of this bill, House Bill 731, introduced January 11, 2016, not that long ago,” Tapper responded. “Your co-sponsor told reporters the law — quote — ‘would require gun owners of these particular models to turn their guns in.'”
“And, again, my point is this: the legislation introduced was the beginning of a conversation,” Abrams said, as she continued to dance around the issue. “I am absolutely certain that, were we to pass this in Georgia, we would have a conversation about grandfathering in, about whether or not people would turn their guns in, whether there would be buybacks. There are a number of approaches to take to accomplish this goal.”
“Well, just to be clear here, though — I’m just trying to understand,” Tapper fired back. “So you don’t support the actual legislation; you just support having a conversation about it?”
“No, what I have said is, legislation in the state legislature is about starting the conversation,” Abrams said, appearing to contradict herself.
“I believe that we have to ban assault weapons in the state of Georgia,” Abrams concluded.
