September 11, 2024

Kamala Harris reminds Americans she's a gun owner at ABC News debate

WATCH: Kamala Harris reminds Americans she's a gun owner at ABC News debate

After former President Donald Trump said during Tuesday's debate that Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democrats will take people's guns away, the vice president pushed back with a little-known fact about herself: She is a gun owner.

Harris briefly pivoted from a question on healthcare to respond to the attacks that Trump laid out during an earlier question.

Michael Le Brecht II/ABC NEWS
Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a presidential debate with former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Philadelphia, Sept. 10, 2024.

"This business about taking everyone's guns away, [Gov.] .Tim Walz and I are both gun owners. We're not taking anybody's guns away, so stop with the continuous lying about this stuff," she said.

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Although Harris has not spoken about her gun-ownership status during the current campaign, she did bring it up five years ago while running for president -- telling reporters in Iowa that she became a gun owner for personal safety issues when she was a prosecutor.

Her campaign told CNN at the time that the firearm, a handgun, was securely locked up.

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Harris has supported several gun control measures including universal background checks and stricter penalties for drug trafficking.

Trump is also a gun owner, however, his permit will be revoked following his conviction in Manhattan.