Kamala Harris is leaning into a little-known aspect of her biography - the fact that she is a gun owner - to stake out ground on the issue of firearms control.
The Democratic presidential nominee supports universal background checks, so-called "red flag" laws and a ban on assault weapons, but critics are honing in on her past support for a mandatory buyback of semi-automatic rifles.
Kamala Harris
After Donald Trump claimed during their Tuesday debate she would "confiscate everybody's gun" if elected, Harris replied that both she and running mate Tim Walz own guns.
"We’re not taking anyone’s guns away, so stop with the continuous lying about this stuff," she said.
Gun control remains among the most contentious issues in American politics but has largely taken a backseat to other policy areas this election.
The question raised during Tuesday's debate over where exactly Harris stands was the first time the issue has even come up in a 2024 debate.
Moderator Linsey Davis noted that, among other shifting policy positions, Harris no longer backs a programme that would force gun owners to hand over their AR-15s and other assault-style weapons to the government.
Harris reiterated her stance at a rally on Thursday in North Carolina. "We who believe in the freedom to live safe from gun violence will finally pass an assault weapons ban, universal background checks, and red flag laws".
source: bbc