WESTERVILLE, Ohio — South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg said that former Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s calls for mandatory gun buybacks could hurt the ability of elected leaders to come together to pass less divisive plans to combat gun violence.

Mr. Buttigieg said lawmakers shouldn’t get bogged down in polarizing fights that could hurt their ability to pass universal background checks, the sale of high capacity magazines and “red flag” laws.

“We cannot wait for purity tests, we have to just get something done,” Mr. Buttigeig said.

Mr. O’Rourke suggested that Mr. Buttigieg was taking a finger in the air approach to the epidemic of mass shootings in the United States.

“Let’s decide what we are going to believe in — what we are going to achieve and let’s bring this country together in order to do that,” Mr. O’Rourke said, lamenting that some politicians are more interested in following polls and political consultants than doing what is right.

“The problem isn’t the polls, the problem is the policy,” Mr. Buttigieg said. “And I don’t need lessons from you on courage, political or personal.”

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