Elon Musk Defends Second Amendment Amid Calls for Mandatory Gun Buyback Programs
Billionaire and X owner Elon Musk has expressed his support for the Second Amendment, responding to recent discussions about implementing a mandatory gun buyback program in the United States.
The debate about a mandatory buyback program has gained momentum in recent days. In an NBC News segment, Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock was asked if Vice President Kamala Harris should back a mandatory gun buyback initiative. NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Warnock, “Should she also be, in your opinion, supporting a mandatory gun buyback program?”
“We’re not going to be able to get where we need to go without action in Congress,” Warnock replied, adding that multiple actions, not just a mandatory buyback, would be needed to implement comprehensive gun control in his opinion.
Mandatory gun buyback programs require private firearm owners to surrender their weapons to the government. While Vice President Harris has not recently commented on supporting such a program, she did express support for it during her 2020 presidential campaign.
In response to this interview, Musk posted on X that, “The right to bear arms is there to protect free speech and stop a tyrannical government from taking your rights away!” He added, “That’s why the first thing that all tyrants do is disarm the people, just like Chavez did when he was first elected. After that, no more real elections in Venezuela.”
Musk, who has a blend of liberal and conservative political views, has been a strong advocate for the Second Amendment. In a 2022 CNBC interview, he stated, “I strongly believe that the right to bear arms is an important safeguard against potential tyranny of government. Historically, maintaining their power over the people is why those in power did not allow public ownership of guns.“
