Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke is back in the spotlight, and so is his infamous line: “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.”
Speaking with Hasan Minhaj on his podcast earlier this month, O’Rourke made it clear he has no regrets about promising to confiscate modern sporting rifles (MSRs) during his 2019 presidential campaign.
O’Rourke framed his stance around tragedies like the El Paso and Uvalde shootings, blaming the availability of AR-15s and AK-pattern rifles.
He argued that so long as Texas “leads the nation in school shootings,” lawmakers must push measures like raising the age to purchase AR-15s to 21, enacting “red flag” laws, and expanding background checks to private sales.
SEE ALSO: The Rossi Princess – Pocket Sized Redefined
While he admitted that few Texans agree with an outright ban, O’Rourke claimed he still finds common ground on smaller restrictions.
But the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) isn’t buying it. In a sharply worded response, NSSF Senior VP Larry Keane blasted O’Rourke for being out of touch with both Texans and the broader American gun-owning public.
“Hell Yes” Meets “Hell No”
The NSSF reminded readers that O’Rourke didn’t just call for a ban in 2019 — he demanded confiscation of lawfully owned rifles. That position, the group noted, alienated voters during his failed presidential run and helped define him as hostile to the Second Amendment in Texas politics.
Keane pointed out that MSRs like the AR-15 are the most popular rifles in America, with more than 30 million in circulation.
Despite constant demonization, they operate no differently than other semi-automatic rifles: one trigger pull, one round fired. Fully automatic firearms, the NSSF stressed, have been heavily regulated since 1934 and new ones banned from sale since 1986.
Constitutional Rights, Not Hunting Privileges
The NSSF also underscored what it sees as the real problem with O’Rourke’s position: the Second Amendment isn’t about hunting.
“A Florida woman, eight months pregnant, used an MSR to defend her family against home invaders in 2019,” Keane wrote, adding that courts from Heller to Bruen have made clear firearms in common use — like AR-15s — cannot be banned.
O’Rourke has occasionally tried to soften his stance, suggesting MSRs could be stored only at clubs or ranges. But the NSSF says that ignores the real-world defensive use of rifles and effectively guts the right to keep arms in the home.
Political Fallout
For O’Rourke, the “Hell yes” line may have been a moment of raw honesty, but it continues to define him years later.
As the NSSF notes, Americans — especially Texans — don’t seem interested in surrendering their rifles. If anything, opposition to confiscation has only hardened as MSRs have become more common and widely accepted.
Beto insists that persistence will pay off in the long run. The gun industry and millions of lawful owners counter with a message just as clear: “Hell no.”
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***
Read the full article here
