A Democratic congressman suggested at a town hall last week that the Second Amendment might be a viable tool in resisting President Donald Trump.
In video posted to his campaign's Facebook account, an audience member asked Rep. Tom Suozzi (D., N.Y.) about what could be done to force Trump to implement sanctions on Russia passed by Congress.
"It’s really a matter of putting public pressure on the president and making it public, which is hard to break through the news-cycle…" Suozzi responded. "It’s probably about going to the courts as well."
"This is where the Second Amendment comes in, quite frankly, because you know, what if the president was to ignore the courts? What would you do? What would we do?" he continued.
A member of the audience asked what the Second Amendment was.
"The Second Amendment is the right to bear arms," Suozzi responded to awkward laughter. "That's why we have it."
When questioned on the comments, the Suozzi campaign at first doubled down, sending New York Post a Thomas Jefferson quote: "What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms."
Later, the campaign denied to the Post that the congressman, who supports gun control, was "advocating for an armed insurrection."