Joe Biden has hit back at those who use the Second Amendment as an excuse to buy high-calibre weapons while discussing a potential ban on assault weapons.
The Second Amendment of the Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms, however, the US President has claimed the clause ‘was never absolute’.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Biden said: “You couldn't buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed.
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"You couldn't go out and purchase a lot of weaponry."
His comments come after the tragic mass shooting of 19 children and two adults, who were killed by 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos with an AR-15 assault rifle at Robb Elementary School.
The President and First Lady, Jill Biden, visited Uvalde, Texas and the site of the massacre to speak to families and friends who had lost loved ones in the shooting.
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The Bidens visited the school where Dr Jill left a bouquet of white flowers, and the pair later attended Mass at a local church.
A crowd outside Sacred Heart Catholic Church chanted, ‘Do something’ as President Biden exited the church, to which he replied ‘We will’.
Biden has repeatedly called for major reforms to gun laws in the United States but hasn’t been able to convince Republicans in Congress to vote on the change.
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After returning from Uvalde, Texas he told reporters: “It makes no sense to be able to purchase something that can fire up to 300 rounds.
"The idea of these high calibre weapons—there's simply no rational basis for it in terms of, about self-protection, hunting—and, remember, the Constitution, the Second Amendment was never absolute."
Many Republican Senators have been steadfast in their refusal to discuss gun reform in the wake of the worst school shooting since Sandy Hook.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz walked out of an interview with Sky News reporter Matt Stone when asked about gun control.
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The Senator was quizzed about why the United States is the only country to have significant mass shooting problems and Cruz was significantly annoyed by the question.
He replied: “Why is it that people from all over the world come to America? Because it’s the freest, most prosperous, safest country on Earth. And stop being a propagandist.”
Meanwhile, in the wake of the tragedy, Congresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene claimed that instead of ‘more gun control’ Americans needed to ‘return to god’ in order to prevent mass shootings.
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Senator Roy Johnson, who represents Wisconsin, also avoided questions from CNN about background checks.
Johnson proceeded to walk into a locked door and refused to make eye contact with the reporter, before walking down the hall to an unlocked door.
Biden says he is yet to discuss changes to gun laws with Republican lawmakers but was hoping the recent tragedy will see them be more ‘rational’ about their decisions.
Topics: Joe Biden, US News, Crime
