"If Someone Breaks Into My House, They Will Be Shot"…Harris Targets Conservative Voters' Support

Shift from Previous Strong Gun Control Stance
"Targeting Conservative Voters Who Support Gun Use"

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris appealed to conservative voters regarding the highly controversial issue of gun ownership in the United States.

On the 19th (local time), the U.S. political media outlet The Hill reported that Vice President Harris said at a support event held in Michigan, "If someone breaks into my house, they will be shot."

She then burst out laughing and added, "I shouldn't say things like this, but my staff will clean up my remarks later." It appears she ended with a joke, aware that her statement could cause controversy within her support base, given her previous strong stance on gun control.

Some progressive politicians within the Democratic Party have called for a ban on the sale of assault weapons altogether. However, on this day, Vice President Harris made remarks suggesting that along with gun ownership, the use of guns could be permitted in limited situations.

However, analysts say Harris's remarks were not a slip of the tongue but a calculated move. U.S. political media such as Politico interpreted it as "remarks aimed at conservative voters who support gun use."

Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States [Photo by Yonhap News]

She told famous broadcaster Oprah Winfrey, who hosted the support event, "I am not trying to take everyone's guns away," adding, "For too long, some people have been forced to make the wrong choice of either supporting the Second Amendment or taking away everyone's guns."

The Second Amendment states, "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

This was not the first time Vice President Harris showed a progressive stance on gun ownership. On the 10th, during a TV debate with former President Donald Trump, she revealed that not only she but also her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, are gun owners.

However, Vice President Harris emphasized the need to introduce certain regulations and to mandate background checks, including criminal records, when purchasing firearms. In other words, she does not reject the opinions of gun rights advocates, who mainly support the Republican Party, but argues that minimal safety measures are necessary, seemingly aiming to attract conservative Republican-leaning and swing voters.

According to a 2022 survey by the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center (NORC), 29% of Democratic Party members own guns, up 7 percentage points from 22% in 2010. The survey found that 55% of Republican members own guns.