Kamala Harris Says She Owns A Glock On ‘60 Minutes’—And ‘Of Course’ She’s Shot It

Topline

Vice President Kamala Harris expanded on her owning a firearm in an interview Monday with “60 Minutes,” revealing she owns a Glock, as she and running mate Gov. Tim Walz have pointed to their firearm ownership to rebut criticism from the right about their gun control proposals.

Key Facts

The vice president has owned a Glock “for quite some time,” she told “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker, pointing to her law enforcement background as her reason for buying a firearm.

When asked if she had ever fired the weapon, Harris responded, “Of course I have,” saying she’s used the gun at a shooting range.

Harris surprised some viewers when she mentioned her gun ownership during her presidential debate against former President Donald Trump last month—telling Trump her and Walz are gun owners and “not taking anybody’s guns away, so stop with the continuous lying about this stuff”—though she noted in Monday’s interview that was “not the first time I’ve talked about it.”

Harris previously said in 2019 she owned a gun for “personal safety” reasons, with a Harris associate telling CNN prosecutors commonly own guns for protection, given that they “have personally been responsible for putting away very serious violent criminals.”

She also discussed her gun ownership during a recent event with Oprah Winfrey, saying, “If somebody breaks into my house, they're getting shot.”

In addition to Harris, Walz is also a gun owner and avid hunter, and has publicly backed gun restrictions even after previously being endorsed by the National Rifle Association when he was in Congress.

What Would Kamala Harris Do About Gun Violence?

Harris supports enacting gun control restrictions including universal background checks, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and implementing “red flag” laws that take guns away from people who are a danger to themselves or others. The candidate’s website also notes she would invest in law enforcement to help combat gun violence and expand existing gun violence prevention programs.

Key Background

Harris’ “60 Minutes” interview came as the vice president has faced criticism from the media and Trump campaign for not doing more major interviews since becoming the Democratic nominee. Harris has sat down for an increasing number of outlets and podcasters as the election nears, however, speaking with CNN, local media and the “Call Her Daddy” podcast among others. Polls continue to show the two candidates are neck-and-neck even as the Harris campaign has garnered a commanding lead in its fundraising, and Harris was asked about her policy positions Monday as the candidate has faced criticism for not being specific enough about her platform.

Tangent

“60 Minutes” told viewers it also invited Trump to sit down for an interview, but the ex-president backed out after initially agreeing to participate. The Trump campaign gave “shifting reasons” for canceling, correspondent Scott Pelley told viewers Monday, including objecting to the program’s fact checking and demanding an apology for Trump’s “60 Minutes” interview in 2020. Harris responded to Trump’s cancellation in her interview with the program, saying, “If he is not gonna give your viewers the ability to have a meaningful, thoughtful conversation, question and answer with you, then watch his rallies.” “You're gonna hear conversations that are about himself and all of his personal grievances,” Harris said, arguing that voters won’t hear “anything about you.”

Further Reading