Democrat congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar (CA-50) poses as pro-gun but believes American citizens ought to have to go through military-style requirements before being allowed to own a gun.

On August 14, 2019, the Valley Roadrunner quoted Camp-Najjar describing himself as “a cigar smoking, gun shooting devout Christian Democrat.” And on January 12, 2020, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported an interview in which Campa-Najjar said he would not “take everyone’s guns away” if elected.

But Campa-Najjar’s tweets and Facebook posts tell a different story.

For example, on May 9, 2019, Campa-Najjar put forward his belief that American citizens ought to have to go through military-style requirements before being allowed to own a gun.

He tweeted that “backgrounds check, Psych evaluation, Training, Storage safe guidelines” are all part of military firearm issuance policies. He suggested, “If civilian gun policy looked more like military gun policy, America would be a safer place.”

He also pointed to military policy of keeping instructors disarmed on base and tried to suggest that if such a policy exists in the military then it also makes sense for “civilian teachers.” He made these comments to show his opposition to a Florida law, adopted after the Parkland shooting, that allows districts to arm teachers for classroom defense.

Speaking of the Parkland shooting, Campa-Najjar used a Facebook post to push for numerous gun controls just three days after the February 14, 2018, attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

He pushed for background checks, adding the no-fly list to the prohibited purchasers’ list, adding mental health screening for would-be gun buyers, and banning bump stocks, among other things.

Ironically, the rifle used in the Parkland attack was acquired via a background check, the attacker was not on a no-fly list, and he did not use a bump stock.

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.