California Congressman with 2020 presidential aspirations Eric Swalwell has confirmed he favored confiscating guns and even had a ‘nuclear’ take on what the government would do if it faced resistance.

In an op-ed published Thursday in USA Today, Swalwell (D-California) proposed a $15 billion buyback program for “assault weapons,” as well as criminal prosecution of anyone who chooses to keep their guns.

“So basically Swalwell wants a war. Because that’s what you would get,” airborne veteran and gun pundit Joe Biggs commented on Twitter – to which Swalwell replied that the government would win such a war, because it has atomic weapons.

“And it would be a short war my friend. The government has nukes. Too many of them. But they’re legit,” the congressman wrote.

And it would be a short war my friend. The government has nukes. Too many of them. But they’re legit. I’m sure if we talked we could find common ground to protect our families and communities. — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 16, 2018

“So our government would nuke its own country in order to take guns? Wow,” Biggs shot back.

Conservatives, gun rights advocates and veterans chimed in, bashing Swalwell for what they saw as a willingness to use nuclear weapons against Americans in the name of gun control.

Seems to me that if we have a government capable of threatening nuclear war in order to take its citizens constitutionally guaranteed gun rights, we have a big problem right now — Jacki Vinson (@jackivinson) November 16, 2018

I saw Lex Luthor was trending and assumed it had something to do with Swalwell's intricate plan to use nuclear strikes to bring an end to deer hunting. — Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) November 16, 2018

What the hell is this? Is this guy insane? 👇🏻 https://t.co/mTbOMC8xY2 — Dan Bongino (@dbongino) November 16, 2018

"NUKE THE NRA is a bold 2020 slogan, Cotton, let's see how it works out for him." https://t.co/xkaAHZVVpe — Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) November 16, 2018

Have you ever considered that typing words and putting them on the internet may not be your strong suithttps://t.co/K1AB0VbJAX — David Burge (@iowahawkblog) November 16, 2018

Some even pointed out that the loyalty of the military should not be assumed in such a scenario.

Swalwell’s defenders were quick to defend him, explaining that what he really meant was that –contrary to what the Second Amendment says– guns were useless as a form of protection against government tyranny, since the government had nuclear weapons. The congressman himself tried to reframe his comment as sarcasm.

America’s gun debate in one thread. 1) I propose a buy-back of assault weapons2) Gun owner says he’ll go to war with USA if that happens 3) I sarcastically point out USA isn’t losing to his assault weapon (it’s not the 18th Century)4) I’m called a tyrant5) 0 progress — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 16, 2018

A Marine bomb technician responded with some sarcasm of his own.

Ladies and gentlemen, I want to take this moment to officially endorse Rep Swalwell as the 2020 Democratic Presidential nominee. https://t.co/CePXmAzQ4s — Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) November 16, 2018

The California congressman isn’t hiding that he is calling for a gun confiscation program modeled after Australia, which in 1996 outlawed long guns and rounded up over 660,000 weapons. Most recent research indicates that American civilians own approximately 393 million guns.

Swalwell, who was just re-elected to a second term representing California’s 15th district, located in the San Francisco Bay area, gained fame as one of the more outspoken Democrat advocates of the “Trump colluded with Russia” conspiracy theory.

Eric Swalwell is simply an idiot who has built a large social media #Resistance following by being the member of Congress willing to issue the most inflammatory, reckless & extreme decrees about Trump/Russia: the easiest way to get noticed in Dem politics: pic.twitter.com/jyRSF56UXx — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 16, 2018

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