Contact Beto O'Rourke | Democratic U.S. Representative from Texas

Beto O'Rourke spoke with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on "Morning Joe" the morning after the 4th Democratic Debate to discuss his debate performance and where he sees the race just over three months from the start of the 2020 primary season. O'Rourke was pressed on his proposal to "confiscate" assault weapons and whether he was playing into the hands of pro-gun rights groups by using such strong language. He insisted that he is on the right side of history that that he doesn't want to infringe on anyone's right to hunt, but did not back down on whether someone should have the right to own what he calls a weapon of war.

The fourth Democratic debate at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, just outside of Columbus, featured twelve candidates all sharing the same stage. Most observers paid close attention to how Senator Elizabeth Warren performance now that she is leading in many national polls and she had a fairly strong night. Eyes were also on Bernie Sanders, who is returning to the race after suffering a heart attack on October 1. He had a strong performance and is, at least for now, seeming to move on from his health emergency. Joe Biden had a relatively strong night without any major gaffes, but without any major memorable moment either.

Beto O'Rourke spoke with CNN's Chris Cuomo from San Quentin, California to respond to the criticism he's received from his proposed mandatory gun-buyback program for assault-style rifles. O'Rourke didn't mince words, saying he is "in favor of gun confiscation" if those guns are AK-47's and military grade assault rifles. However, he was just as adamant that he is not interested in taking firearms away from hunters or people who have a gun for self defense purposes. He also claimed that "allowing the NRA to set the terms of the [gun] debate no longer works."