Rep. Eric Swalwell is making good on his promise to make gun control the main platform of his campaign as he just announced his “big, bold” buyback program for “assault weapons.”

The California Democrat, who just announced his 2020 presidential bid, explained his proposed plan in an appearance on “Good Morning America” on Monday, clarifying comments he had made in an Esquire interview.

“Keep your rifles, keep your shotguns, keep your pistols,” he said. “We just want the most dangerous weapons out of the hands of the most dangerous people”

Swalwell also proudly proclaimed he is “the only candidate proposing that we ban and buy back every single assault weapon in this nation,” in a tweet on Tuesday.

It’s time we take BIG, BOLD action to #EndGunViolence in America. That’s why I’m the only candidate proposing that we ban and buy back every single assault weapon in this nation. pic.twitter.com/rwhvDVBeDG

— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) April 9, 2019

The Democrat, who has maintained that President Donald Trump is an “agent” of Moscow, offered no definition of what he considered an “assault weapon” to be and no details of what a buyback program would look like. The lawmaker rallied last year for the confiscation of semi-automatic firearms and threatened that it would be a “short war” if anyone resisted and that the “government has nukes” that it could use in a war against Second Amendment supporters.

Swalwell told Esquire’s Ryan Lizza in an interview published Sunday how he plans to set himself apart from the crowded Democratic field of presidential candidates vying for the Party’s nomination.

“I’m going to be an aspirational candidate who believes that in our lifetime we could have 100 percent renewables when it comes to energy; that in our lifetime we could have publicly financed campaigns; that in our lifetime we could buy back and ban every single assault weapon,” he said.

“I will be the first candidate to say that reducing gun violence has to be a top-three issue,” he added, praising New Zealand’s quick response in changing the country’s gun laws just weeks after the Christchurch massacre.

“Last year I wrote a bill calling for a buyback and ban on assault weapons — not just to ban future manufacturing, but to just take the 15 million that are out there and buy them back,” Swalwell told Esquire.

The 38-year-old four-term congressman who represents California’s 15th congressional district released campaign videos on social media in addition to his appearance on “The Tonight Show,” which sparked a backlash of negative reaction.

His tweet on Tuesday doubling down on his plan to remove guns from everyone, effectively making instant criminals out of law-abiding Americans, did not go over so well either as Twitter users quickly schooled the Democrat on the U.S. Constitution.

“Ban and buy back” ? that’s just a fancy term for confiscation. Sorry. My guns are not for sale.

— Travis Smith (@TwelveGaugeTrav) April 10, 2019

Shall not be infringed. Look it up. https://t.co/U8sCZ1Ehpb

— Richard King (@rtking10) April 10, 2019

Big, Bold and an attack on the Bill of Rights. https://t.co/DldLDiBcNK

— Alan Paul (@AmerLastStand) April 10, 2019

Swalwell took his gun control plan to Florida Tuesday, meeting with the Parkland community in a town hall on ending gun violence.

We’re here together in Parkland today to remember those we have lost to gun violence, and honor them with action. No more silence. #EnoughIsEnough pic.twitter.com/R1vvvB3MiP

— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) April 9, 2019

He insisted Democrats were not “coming for your guns.”

.@ericswalwell says, in response to question, that Democrats aren’t planning to seize guns. “We’re going to come your house, offer you better healthcare, hopefully offer your kids better education. We’re not coming for your guns.”

— Anthony Man (@browardpolitics) April 9, 2019

But many are not buying what Swalwell is selling, and debated that with the lawmaker on Twitter. Law professor Elliott Hamilton tweeted, “We fought a revolution over crap like this,” and set off a thread slamming Swalwell for not having a grasp of America history.

Nope https://t.co/H6McVtviFW

— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) April 10, 2019

“Nope” is how most six year olds, and some presidential candidates, dismiss inconvenient facts. https://t.co/L4NxVvNUTj

— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) April 10, 2019

Congressmen doesn’t know why we fought a revolution. It started when they tried to take our guns at Lexington and Concord. https://t.co/XKtXy32hfq

— Jim Bowie (@jamesbowie4545) April 10, 2019

Yes, we did. No British government trying to steal gunpowder and firearms, no Shot Heard Round The World, no American Revolution. Stop pretending to be a wannabe lobsterback. https://t.co/QFv2icY2LV

— Elliott Hamilton (@ElliottRHams) April 10, 2019

Heck, he didn’t pay attention to Schoolhouse Rock!

— Kirk Holloway (@kirk_holloway) April 10, 2019

And just like that, his run for President is over.

— ?? (@Murf_Five) April 10, 2019

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Frieda Powers

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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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