Martin O’Malley delivered the first direct video attack of the Democratic primary on Wednesday, criticizing front-runner Hillary Clinton for her weak record on gun control.
The short video highlights Clinton’s stance on gun control during her first run at the Democratic nomination in 2008 when she said that “for the federal government to be having any kind of blanket rules [on guns], I think doesn’t make sense.”
Clinton now criticizes GOP candidate Jeb Bush for stating “the federal government shouldn’t be involved in gun laws.” On the 2016 campaign trail Clinton often speaks of her plans to curb gun violence and restrict the buying and selling of firearms, but O’Malley has protested that her plans don’t go far enough.
Unlike Clinton, O’Malley would ban the sales of assault weapons and use executive action to refuse to buy guns from any company that doesn’t use “the latest and best safety technology.” In addition, he would make gun trafficking a federal crime and repeal immunity for gun dealers and manufacturers. O’Malley first began cracking down on gun safety laws while serving as the governor of Maryland prior to his run for the party nomination.
Despite O’Malley’s strong calls for the former secretary of state to take a more progressive view, he still lags in the polls at only 1.2 percent to Clinton’s has 53 percent.
