White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday announced that President Biden would sign new executive actions to address gun violence, citing Vice President Harris' commitment to gun ownership and previous gun buyback programs. He declined to answer questions about his support.
The Harris campaign this week asked Fox News Digital what kind of guns Harris owns, which states the vice president is registered in, and when was the last time she went to a shooting range. The company has not responded to multiple requests for answers. More than two weeks have passed since Harris, along with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, declared themselves gun owners at the ABC News presidential debate in Philadelphia.
Jean-Pierre said at a White House press briefing that Biden and Harris will hold an event to announce new executive actions to combat the gun violence epidemic. The White House said in a press release that Biden and Harris will “direct federal agencies to improve active shooter training in schools and combat the emerging threat of machine gun converters and non-serialized 3D printed firearms.” He announced that he would be issuing a new executive order. It also includes additional executive actions to advance the Biden-Harris administration's policies to reduce gun violence and save lives. ”
“On today's gun event, what kind of gun does the vice president have? And when did he buy it?” Fox News White House correspondent Jackie Heinrich asked during a briefing.
“That's something for her office to talk about,” Jean-Pierre retorted.
The Harris campaign did not provide details about the type of gun she owned the last time she went to the shooting range.
Kamala Harris during a presidential debate at the National Constitution Center on September 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
Harris told former President Donald Trump to “stop continuing to lie” after the Democratic presidential candidate claimed that she “plans to confiscate everyone's guns.” “We will not take away anyone's guns,” she vowed from the debate stage. But Harris supported Proposition H in 2005, when she was San Francisco district attorney, which would ban handguns within city limits and require residents to remove any handguns they already owned by a certain deadline. Heinrich pointed out that he requested that the documents be submitted or face mandatory prison sentences. and asked again Thursday whether the White House would release details about Harris' gun ownership.
“So will the White House be able to answer that for us? Because she hasn't answered that question, and her campaign officials haven't even answered that question on TV,” Heinrich said.
“When it comes to the vice president and gun ownership, she can represent herself. Her campaign can represent that. Her office can represent that. I don't. No. That's what they talk about,” Jean-Pierre said. “There's no contradiction here in saying we want responsible gun ownership. That's what we want. Responsible gun ownership. That's what's important here. I think so.”
Denouncing gun violence as “an epidemic in our country,” she continued, “Think about our schools and our grocery stores. This is an epidemic. We've been working on it. We've seen violent crime go down because of this president and his efforts.''The vice president has an office to prevent gun violence, which she leads. That's what I'm doing. ”
Harris shocks social media by saying she's a gun owner
Presidential Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre listens to U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell speak about Hurricane Helen on September 26, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
“We want responsible gun ownership. That's what we want. That's what's important here. And that's what people don't understand, don't want to understand, don't understand. If you haven't, I don't know how to take it further.'Explain it to them,' she said. “Our children, our schools. There is an epidemic here. There is an epidemic. There is a drill going on in our school right now. Because of this epidemic. That's what the president is going to talk about, which is traumatizing for some kids. How do we make sure this epidemic ends? That's what we want.”
Heinrich pointed out that this question is not about responsible gun ownership. She reiterated that she had asked about a measure that Harris supports, which she has sometimes said would “require the city's non-law enforcement and non-military residents to turn in their handguns, so if we don't ban them from owning them,” “They could face mandatory prison sentences,” he said. She also hasn't answered her questions about gun ownership. ”
San Francisco District Attorney Harris told legal gun owners: “Just because we legally carry a gun in the sacred confines of our locked homes doesn't mean we don't own a gun.'' A video has also been released in which he says, “No.” enter the house and make sure you are acting responsibly and safely in carrying out your duties,” while talking about the proposal.
Kamala Harris listens to Donald Trump's speech during the presidential debate at the National Constitution Center on September 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
“Again, that's something she has to talk about,” Jean-Pierre said. “What I can say at this moment in time is that what we've been trying to do for the last three and a half years is make sure that we address the epidemics that are present in our communities and that we're seeing. It's prevalent in our schools and in our grocery stores, and what we're trying to do is prevent gun violence.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“And we've seen that go down. Because of this effort, because of the executive action, the bipartisan work we've been able to do under this administration to address gun violence. With this bill, we experienced something we've never seen before.'' Thirty years later, there will be bipartisan support to address responsible gun ownership. We need to do more,” she said.
