Former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke (D., Texas) said during a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe that he would send law enforcement to people's homes to seize their guns if they did not turn them in under his proposed mandatory buyback scheme.
"Let's just assume there's a rancher in Texas that says 'I'm not going to do this because this is an unjust law and it's unconstitutional.' What's the next step?" asked host Joe Scarborough. "I think that's what we need to concede because there will be people who don't turn their guns back in. What's the next step for the federal government there?"
"I think just as in any law that is not followed or flagrantly abused, there have to be consequences or else there is no respect for the law," O'Rourke said. "In that case, I think there would be a visit by law enforcement to recover that firearm, to make sure it is purchased, bought back so that it cannot be potentially used against somebody else."
O'Rourke's remarks follow his declaration at September's primary debate that "hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47." During Tuesday night's debate, O'Rourke promised "other consequences" for those who would not voluntarily surrender their firearms. Now, it appears those "other consequences" include law enforcement being sent to take guns away.
Recent polling indicates that O'Rourke's unprecedented plan netted him zero added support. O'Rourke is currently polling under three percent, and has languished at the bottom of the pack for the past several months, despite this and other recent policy shifts.