PACKING HEAT — Kamala Harris wants voters to know she owns a gun. She mentioned it during her debate with Donald Trump. And during her panel interview with the National Association of Black Journalists. It also came up in her WIRED Autocomplete interview, when she reiterated her support for the Second Amendment. At an event with Oprah Winfrey in Michigan last week, Harris took her gun ownership a step further. “If someone breaks into my house,” she said, “they’re getting shot.” The gun-toting bravado might seem a little jarring, especially for the nominee of a party that’s more closely associated with gun control measures. But it serves her political objectives as Harris attempts to project strength and seeks to expand her support in rural and small-town America, where gun ownership is more common. The frequent reminders that she owns a firearm also makes it harder to caricature her record — which includes support for an assault weapons ban, universal background checks and red-flag laws — as that of a gun-grabbing California liberal. “Kamala Harris acknowledging that she is a gun owner is a powerful statement and a message that resonates with those of us who are responsible gun owners. It defuses these false narratives that her plan is to take everyone’s guns,” said Olivia Troye, executive director of 97Percent, a bipartisan group that conducts research on gun safety policies. Troye, a former Trump White House staffer who is supporting Harris, added: “To me, as a Republican-leaning voter and gun owner, it spoke to the broader coalition that she is working on. We are working on Republicans, Independents, and honestly, seeing her do that last night probably will help her with those populations because they’re watching her closely.” Harris’ campaign says it hasn’t message tested the line about owning a gun. One campaign aide, granted anonymity to discuss strategy, said her gun ownership strengthens her message to independents and gun owners. Harris will also continue to push for the gun restrictions she’s mentioned on the campaign trail, the aide said — a policy stance the campaign believes is in line with what the majority of Americans believe. Tim Walz, her running mate, is also burnishing his gun-owning bona fides. He enacted stronger state gun laws as a governor, but prior to winning statewide office, as a congressman representing a pro-gun district, Walz earned an A rating from the National Rifle Association. On the campaign trail, Walz has bragged about his own sharpshooting skills and smacked down GOP vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, insisting in one interview “I guarantee you he can’t shoot pheasants like I can.” Harris’ profile — a woman who owns a handgun for self-defense — matches one of the fastest growing demographics among gun owners . While men have the highest rates of gun ownership in the U.S., about 22 percent of women said they personally own a gun in the most recent Gallup survey , a figure that has nearly doubled over a 15-year period. Black women specifically also make up a growing share of gun ownership. Among gun owners, women are more likely to favor stricter gun laws than men. This campaign isn’t the first time Harris has publicly discussed her gun ownership. She also mentioned it during the 2020 Democratic primary, when she said she bought a firearm for “personal safety.” “I was a career prosecutor.” she explained. The handgun is kept in a secure location in her home in California, the campaign said. But the vice president’s exchange on the debate stage with Trump — which was unscripted, per a Harris campaign aide — marked the first time she brought up her gun ownership this year. The revelation of the little-known fact about Harris made waves on the internet and came as a surprise to voters still learning about the Democratic nominee. Since then, Harris has appeared increasingly comfortable leaning into this part of her bio while at the same time advocating for new gun laws. During her campaign event with Oprah last week, Harris sought to stake out a middle ground. “I think for far too long on the issue of gun violence, some people have been pushing a really false choice — to suggest you’re either in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyone’s guns away,” she said. “I’m in favor of the Second Amendment, and I’m in favor of assault weapons bans, universal background checks, and red flag laws.” Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at mward@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @MyahWard .
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