Sanders on Trump push to ban some e-cigarettes: ‘Now do AR-15s’

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) responded to President Trump’s push to ban flavored e-cigarettes on Wednesday by calling for the administration to take similar action on weapons.

After Trump announced his administration would seek to prohibit the sale of all non-tobacco flavors of e-cigarettes, Sanders posted on Twitter urging the administration to ban AR-15s following several recent mass shootings.

Now do AR-15s. https://t.co/HNJmxIuCrr

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 11, 2019

Sanders has long called for a ban on assault weapons in the wake of mass shootings, saying last year that “these weapons are not for hunting … they’re for killing human beings.”

Democrats in the House are planning to hold a hearing Sept. 25 on a bill to ban assault weapons, legislation that currently has 211 co-sponsors — seven short of the 218 votes it will need to pass in the House.

Still, respondents in an NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll released this week were split on whether they’d support an assault rifle ban.

Democrats are seeking to raise pressure on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Trump to reform gun laws, though it’s unclear what legislation Trump might support.

Trump on Wednesday afternoon appeared close to a decision on potential gun legislation, with senators negotiating over efforts to strengthen the country’s background check system.

Sanders, who is among two dozen Democrats seeking the party’s nomination to take on Trump in 2020, weighed in Wednesday as the president detailed his administration’s plan to combat increased teen vaping in the country.

Trump’s announcement comes at a time when an unknown respiratory disease is affecting hundreds in the country and has killed six people so far.

“We can’t have our youth be so affected,” Trump said at the White House on Wednesday morning. “People are dying with vaping, so we’re looking at it very closely.”