How Beto O'Rourke has evolved since saying 'Hell, yes,' he'd take your AR-15

SHERMAN — At an April town hall meeting, Beto O’Rourke was asked about AR-15s, the popular semiautomatic rifle he pledged to confiscate in 2019 during his run for president.

Grayson County retiree Jan Fletcher held her right hand on her chin and braced for the answer.

“I like what he has to offer, but I’m still scared of what Republicans are going to do to him after his comment in the presidential debates,” she said. “I’m very terrified for him.”

“Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,” has followed O’Rourke since he said it during a Democratic presidential debate, drawing applause from the Houston crowd and jeers from many gun owners throughout the Lone Star State.

The comment came about a month after the mass shooting that killed 23 people and injured dozens more in El Paso, O’Rourke’s hometown. He told The Dallas Morning News the shooting rampage “just crushed me.”

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2022/09/23/how-beto-orourke-has-evolved-since-saying-hell-yes-hed-take-your-ar-15/