Montana Gov. Steve Bullock: Time to View Guns as a 'Public Health Issue'

Montana Gov. and Democrat presidential hopeful Steve Bullock says it is time to view guns as a “public health issue.”

He made this point during the June 23, 2019, airing of Fox News Sunday.

Host Chris Wallace noted that Bullock’s positions on certain gun controls shifted as he approached announcing his run for president. He said, “Back in 2016, you opposed universal background checks, and you said you had expanded Second Amendment rights in your state of Montana. But more recently, you now support universal background checks, you support a limit on the size of gun magazines, and you support a ban on some semiautomatic weapons.”

Wallace then asked, “Why the change of mind, sir?”

Bullock responded, “I have been both a supporter of the Second Amendment and I’ve also vetoed bills that I don’t think make sense. I’ve had to lower the flags five times just since Parkland. I think if we ever looked at this as a public health issue, and not a political issue, we could make strides.”

Bullock went on to say that even NRA members want universal background checks.

On February 20, 2019, Breitbart News reported that over 92 percent of NRA members oppose criminalizing private gun sales via universal background checks.

Bullock first voiced support for a ban to prevent Montanans from having AR-15s and other commonly-owned semiautomatic rifles during late summer 2018. He reiterated this position during his time on Fox News Sunday, saying,  “Places like Walmart and Dick’s have banned the selling assault rifles and it’s about time we take a look at this as well.”

Ironically, nearly 90 percent [of NRA members] oppose an “assault weapons” ban.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.