EXCLUSIVE – President Biden quipped on Tuesday that Second Amendment supporters would "need an F-16" to take on the federal government, a comment that was blasted by some Capitol Hill lawmakers.
"I’m a Second Amendment guy," Biden said at a campaign event at a private California residence. "I taught it for four years, six years in law school. And guess what? It doesn’t say that you can own any weapon you want. It says there are certain weapons that you just can’t own. Even during when it was passed, you couldn’t own a cannon. You can’t own a machine gun.
"So what’s the deal with the idea that it’s an absolute — you know, I love these guys who say the Second Amendment is — you know, the tree of liberty is watered with the blood of patriots. Well, if you want to do that, you want to work against the government, you need an F-16. You need something else than just an AR-15."
BIDEN MOCKS SECOND AMENDMENT SUPPORTERS, SAYS YOU ‘NEED AN F-16’ TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT
"Well he certainly doesn't sound like a Second Amendment guy," Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital, referencing Biden's self-description. "The fact is, President Biden has long held positions that are hostile to Second Amendment rights. And I think it's demonstrable in his policy agenda."
"It's troubling to hear Biden tout his college teaching days while blatantly misrepresenting the Constitution and trying to compare guns used for self-defense to F-16 fighter jets," Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kansas, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "He's clearly out of touch with everyday Americans who he thinks cling to our guns and Bibles. Instead, we know the Founding Fathers made certain to include this right to preserve for future generations our ability to maintain our independence and protect ourselves."
Other Republican lawmakers responded by raising the alarm on Biden's cognitive skills.
"He needs to stick to his knitting," Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said. "His cognitive skills have dropped considerably since he's been in office, and that just shows. We take an oath to uphold the Constitution. If he's not going to uphold the Second Amendment, what's next? The First Amendment, the Third Amendment, where are we going with it?"
"This from the guy who said, 'God, save the Queen,'" Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., quipped.
"I'm not going to pay a lot of attention to Joe Biden quotes these days," Duarte told Fox News Digital. "If someone can tell him the Queen has passed away, that'd be helpful. If he can remember, that'd be even more helpful."
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In the same speech, Biden suggested the popularity of AR-15s among gun makers is due to its cheap production and high profit margins.
"You know one of the reasons why the AR-15 is so strongly supported by so many folks in that industry?" he asked. "Number one, it’s the cheapest weapon to make, and it’s the highest profit motive they have for any weapon that is made. It makes more money to sell an AR-15 than any other weapon you can buy."
Biden has recently renewed his call for new gun laws, saying in May that he wants Congress to enact a federal ban on "assault weapons and high-capacity magazines" like the one he helped pass in 1994.
Fox News' Nikolas Lanum and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
