WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican presidential contender Ben Carson says he would have sacrificed his life to help stop last week’s deadly attack in Oregon. But he’s joined the rest of the GOP’s 2016 class in refusing to support new measures to stop mass shootings.
In a new book, the retired neurosurgeon also insists that Americans must have access to assault rifles and “armor-penetrating ammunition” to defend themselves from “an overly aggressive government.”
The comments provide fresh evidence of the growing divide between Republicans and Democrats on gun violence and the potential for the issue to loom large in the 2016 presidential contest.
Leading Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton rolled out several proposals to address gun violence this week, including using executive action as president to expand background check requirements. Clinton pledged to require anyone “attempting to sell a significant number of guns” to be considered a firearms dealer, and therefore subject to a federal license.
Republicans have accused Democrats of trying to politicize last week’s shooting rampage at Umpqua Community College, which left 10 dead, including the shooter. Carson on Tuesday said he probably would not have visited the Oregon community if he were president, because that would inject politics into a tragedy.