'Intruders breaking into my house are getting shot': Kamala Harris
United States Vice President Kamala Harris jokingly issued a stern warning to home intruders during an interview with Oprah Winfrey on Thursday. "If somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot," she said candidly before a live studio audience, later adding, "I probably should not have said that. But my staff will deal with that later." She made this remark following her surprising revelation that she owns a gun during the presidential debate with Donald Trump last week.
Harris's statement amid concerns over political violence
Harris's comment also comes against a backdrop of increased worries about political violence, following a second potential assassination attempt on her presidential election opponent, Trump. The vice president is known for her support of stricter gun control measures, including an assault weapons ban, comprehensive background checks for buyers, and "red flag" laws aimed at temporarily disarming those deemed dangerous.
Harris's stance on Second Amendment and gun ownership
During the interview, Harris also expressed her support for the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects citizens' right to own guns. She said that she owns the handgun for personal safety reasons, stored securely at her California residence. As a former district attorney of San Francisco and California attorney general, Harris had stated in 2019, "I am a gun owner, and I own a gun for probably the reason a lot of people do - for personal safety."
Harris addresses gun control and mass shootings
The interview further touched on the recent mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, where a 14-year-old student opened fire, killing four people. She also refuted former President Trump's claims about Democrats taking away guns, stating that both she and her vice presidential nominee Tim Walz are gun owners and have no intention of confiscating anyone's firearms. According to Pew Research, one-third of Americans own a gun, and almost two-thirds support stronger gun laws.
