In a light-hearted but thought-provoking moment during a livestreamed event, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris openly discussed her gun ownership and reiterated her support for tighter gun control measures, particularly an assault weapons ban. Harris made the remarks during a conversation with Oprah Winfrey, in which the vice president also addressed a wide range of issues including immigration, the economy, and gun violence in America.
In a candid exchange that quickly caught the attention of viewers and the media, Harris quipped, “If somebody breaks into my house, they’re getting shot.” The remark was delivered in a joking tone, but it nonetheless highlighted a more personal side to the vice president’s stance on gun ownership—a subject that has become increasingly prominent in the 2024 election cycle.
After a brief laugh, Harris continued: “I probably shouldn’t have said that, but my staff will deal with that later.” Despite the humor, the comment underscored a broader discussion about the role of firearms in American society, particularly the balance between personal safety and the need for stricter gun regulations.
Kamala Harris: Gun Owner and Gun Control Advocate
The vice president’s remarks came in the wake of last week’s presidential debate, where her status as a gun owner became a focal point of discussion for the first time in the campaign. Harris, the Democratic nominee for president in the upcoming 2024 election, has previously acknowledged that she owns a firearm for personal safety, a decision she attributes to her years as a career prosecutor.
During the event with Winfrey, Harris confirmed once again that she has been a gun owner “for a while.” She emphasized that her personal ownership of a firearm should not be confused with an opposition to sensible gun reforms. “I am a supporter of the Second Amendment,” she said, “but we need to have common-sense gun laws in this country, especially when it comes to assault weapons.”
Harris also discussed the nation’s ongoing problem with gun violence, specifically the devastating impact of mass shootings and school shootings. “It is bone-chilling for a child to have to go through a drill for such an incident,” Harris said. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
Her remarks came just days after a tragic shooting at a Georgia high school, where a 14-year-old student was charged with murdering four people. The incident served as a grim reminder of the persistent threat of gun violence in American schools and provided Harris with an opportunity to underscore her call for reform.
Assault Weapons: Tools of War, Not Civil Society
One of the most significant points Harris made during her conversation with Winfrey was her continued support for an assault weapons ban. Referring to firearms like the AR-15, Harris described these weapons as “literally designed to be a tool of war” and argued that they “have no place on the streets of a civil society.”
This is a longstanding position for Harris, who has consistently called for the removal of such weapons from civilian hands. During the 2020 Democratic primary, Harris was a strong advocate for a mandatory buyback program for assault weapons, although her stance has evolved over time.
In last week’s debate, Harris faced questions regarding her position on gun buybacks and whether she would force Americans to surrender their AR-15s and other assault-style rifles. She clarified that while she no longer supports a mandatory buyback program, she remains committed to enacting stricter gun control laws, including an assault weapons ban, universal background checks, and red-flag laws.
Gun Control and the 2024 Election
Harris’s stance on gun control has become one of the most closely watched aspects of her campaign as she prepares for a contentious face-off with Republican incumbent Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Trump has seized on Harris’s gun policies, accusing her of wanting to “confiscate everybody’s gun,” a claim that Harris has strongly denied.
During the debate, Harris pointed out that both she and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, are gun owners, dismissing accusations that Democrats are trying to disarm law-abiding citizens. Walz, a hunting enthusiast, has also voiced his support for gun reforms, making the Democratic ticket’s nuanced stance on firearms a key issue in their campaign.
Trump, who has faced legal challenges in his own gun ownership, has taken a different approach. While the former president once owned three firearms, he had to surrender two of them due to legal restrictions following his indictment on charges in New York. The third remains in his possession under strict legal limitations. Trump has used Harris’s evolving gun control positions as part of his broader critique of her candidacy, framing her as inconsistent on the issue of gun rights.
Despite these attacks, Harris has remained firm in her call for gun control reforms. At a recent rally in North Carolina, she outlined her vision for a safer America: “We who believe in the freedom to live safe from gun violence will finally pass an assault weapons ban, universal background checks, and red-flag laws.” These measures, she said, are not intended to infringe on responsible gun ownership but to ensure that dangerous individuals do not have easy access to deadly weapons.
One of the key elements of Harris’s gun control platform is her support for red-flag laws, which allow family members, law enforcement, or other concerned individuals to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone who is deemed to be a risk to themselves or others. Red-flag laws have been adopted in several states but remain a contentious issue at the federal level.
Harris believes that these laws are a critical tool in preventing tragedies like mass shootings and domestic violence incidents. “Too many lives have been lost because the warning signs were ignored,” she told the audience in Michigan. “Red-flag laws give us a way to act before it’s too late.”
Supporters of red-flag laws argue that they provide a much-needed mechanism for preventing gun violence in cases where an individual is exhibiting signs of dangerous behavior. However, opponents, including many gun-rights advocates, worry that such laws could be misused or infringe on constitutional rights without sufficient due process protections.
Gun Ownership as a Personal and Political Issue
The vice president’s gun ownership has been a matter of public record since 2019 when she first mentioned that she owned a firearm for personal safety. As a former prosecutor, Harris has spoken about the importance of feeling safe, especially given the dangerous nature of her previous work. “I own a gun for probably the reason a lot of people do—for personal safety,” she said at the time.
However, her gun ownership has only recently become a significant talking point in the 2024 presidential race, particularly following last week’s debate. Winfrey, who hosted the livestreamed event, admitted that even she was unaware of Harris’s gun ownership until the debate. “I had no idea you owned a gun,” Winfrey told Harris during the event, highlighting the disconnect between Harris’s personal practices and the broader political narrative around her policies.
Harris’s ability to balance her personal gun ownership with her advocacy for gun reform could prove to be a crucial factor in the election. As the nation grapples with rising gun violence, school shootings, and mass shootings, her message of common-sense reforms may resonate with a large portion of the electorate. At the same time, her support for the Second Amendment may help counter Republican claims that Democrats are out to take away Americans’ guns.
Gun control remains one of the most divisive issues in the United States, and the 2024 election is unlikely to change that. For many voters, the issue of firearms is tied to deeply held beliefs about personal freedom, self-defense, and government overreach. For others, the frequency of mass shootings and the impact of gun violence on communities has created an urgent need for change.
Kamala Harris finds herself at the center of this debate. As a gun owner who advocates for reform, she occupies a complex position that seeks to bridge the divide between the right to bear arms and the need for safety measures to protect American lives. Whether her approach will resonate with voters remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: gun control will be a defining issue in the 2024 election.
As the conversation with Winfrey came to a close, Harris reflected on the weight of the upcoming election and the future of gun reform in America. “It doesn’t have to be this way,” she said, echoing a sentiment that is shared by many Americans who hope for a future free from gun violence. Whether that future includes an assault weapons ban, universal background checks, and red-flag laws may ultimately depend on the outcome of November’s election.
