CNN’s Camerota Grills Beto on Gun Buyback Proposal: ‘You Expect Mass Shooters to Follow the Law?’

Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke faced questions about his mandatory weapons buyback proposal when he gave a post-debate interview to CNN on Wednesday.

During the Ohio presidential debate, O’Rourke drew attention from the moment where he and Pete Buttigieg clashed on whether the buyback proposal is a feasible solution to gun violence in America. In a follow-up conversation with Alisyn Camerota, O’Rourke was asked “How do you plan to get assault weapons away from people who don’t want to give them up?”

“As with any law in this country, we would expect our fellow Americans to follow the law,” he answered. “We’re a nation of laws and no person is above the law. No matter how much they may disagree with a given law…This is the right thing to do. And I fully expect my fellow Americans to follow the law.”

“You expect mass shooters to follow the law?” Camerota responded. “Congressman, mass shooters by definition…they don’t follow the law.”

O’Rourke continued to say that there is “no excuse for not taking action now while we have the opportunity to do the right thing,” even if he proposal won’t completely stop shootings.

Camerota continued to squeeze, however, by saying “it doesn’t make sense” to think that people who intend to break the law anyway will just hand over their guns, “so then what’s your plan?”

The conversation continued with the two of them going back and forth about whether a new law would work and how O’Rourke intends to enforce it, and whether it boils down to “confiscation.”

Watch above, via CNN.