California Rep. Eric Swalwell, an Iowa native and former prosecutor, is making fighting gun violence a central theme of his newly launched presidential campaign.

The congressman, who announced his bid in the crowded Democratic on Monday, is proposing a ban on and federal buyback of all 15 million assault weapons in the U.S. The 38-year-old congressman wants to exempt law enforcement agencies and shooting clubs.

"We should take the most dangerous weapons out of the hands of the most dangerous people," Swalwell said in his campaign launch video. The video also plays up his roots in Iowa, a state that could be critical because it's the first to hold a caucus for the 2020 presidential elections.

Swalwell, who sits on the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees, has been a frequent critic of President Donald Trump and his policies, charging they are hurting ordinary Americans. Also, he has said Americans are struggling and feel "disconnected" and hurt by the policies of President Donald Trump.

"You look your family in the eyes and ask, 'how is our future any better off than before this guy came around,' " Swalwell says in the campaign video. He made his 2020 announcement on Monday evening on CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

Swalwell has proposed a variety of initiatives to create more jobs and opportunities, including workforce training, infrastructure investment and tax changes to boost growth in low-income communities.

Still, Swalwell is seen as a long-shot candidate with several other rivals already showing stronger polling among likely voters, including former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. An Iowa Poll released a month ago of likely caucus participants in the state found Swalwell wasn't a first choice of any survey participants.