Did President Joe Biden threaten Americans who legally own firearms for the Constitutionally-stated purpose of defending against tyranny? That’s a question many are asking after Biden held a Wednesday press conference to address gun crime in the U.S.
One particular part of Biden’s address is raising eyebrows.
Here’s a transcript of what Biden said, word for word, according to the White House website:
The Second Amendment, from the day it was passed, limited the type of people who could own a gun and what type of weapon you could own. You couldn’t buy a cannon.
Those who say the blood of lib- — “the blood of patriots,” you know, and all the stuff about how we’re going to have to move against the government. Well, the tree of liberty is not watered with the blood of patriots. What’s happened is that there have never been — if you wanted or if you think you need to have weapons to take on the government, you need F-15s and maybe some nuclear weapons.
The point is that there has always been the ability to limit — rationally limit the type of weapon that can be owned and who can own it.
Oh really, sir?
All the other hyperbole stated from Biden aside for a minute, the president has used the “cannon” line before. In May, PolitiFact rated a similar Biden statement as false.
“You weren’t allowed to own a cannon during the Revolutionary War as an individual,” Biden said on May 21.
Second Amendment Director at the Independence Institute David Kopel told PolitiFact that he was “not aware of a ban on any arm in colonial America.”
“I am not aware of a ban on any arm in colonial America," he said. "There were controls on people or locations, but not bans on types of arms.”
As for Biden’s F-15 and nuclear weapons comment, was the president threatening Americans with military force? I guess only time will tell.
For video of Biden's comments, watch below: