"Fox & Friends Weekend" host Pete Hegseth on Sunday urged viewers to buy more AR-15s after Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke Beto O'RourkeJimmy Carter says his son smoked pot with Willie Nelson on White House roof O'Rourke endorses Kennedy for Senate: 'A champion for the values we're most proud of' 2020 Democrats do convention Zoom call MORE called for a ban on the sale of the weapons.

The comment came after O'Rourke, who last week announced he is running for president, said Saturday that he doesn't think the U.S. needs to "sell any more weapons of war into this public."

"If you own an AR-15, keep it. Continue to use it responsibly and safely," he said. "I just don't think that we need to sell any more weapons of war into this public."

Beto O'Rourke: "If you own an AR-15, keep it. Continue to use it responsibly and safely. I just don't think that we need to sell anymore weapons of war into this public." pic.twitter.com/uqMA1jWOTf — The Hill (@thehill) March 17, 2019

Hegseth fired back on Sunday, saying, "Stocks of gun companies probably will go up after things like this. Responsible gun owners recognize their right to own rifles like that. You can use 'weapons of war' or 'assault ban' all you want."

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"This will appeal to his base: young people who are uninformed about the difference between an automatic and semiautomatic rifle. But go out and get your second AR-15 today. Maybe it's a good reason to do so," he continued.