During a March 1, 2020, rally in Los Angeles, Democrat presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders pledged, “I will not be intimidated by the NRA.”

He said, “We will pass universal background checks,” and he likewise promised to “end the gun show loophole.”

Sanders added, “And we will do what the American people want and that is: end the sale and distribution of ‘assault weapons’ in this country.”

Ironically, his rally was in California, where they have universal background checks, therefore, no “gun show loophole,” an “assault weapons” ban, gun registration requirements, a ten-day waiting period on gun purchases, a requirement to get a safety certificate from the state before buying a gun, firearm confiscation laws, gun rationing, and gun controls on ammunition purchases.

Despite these controls, California frequently seizes the national attention with high-profile shootings like the November 14, 2019, Saugus High School shooting (two dead), July 28, 2019, Gilroy Garlic Festival attack (three dead), the April 27, 2019, Poway Synagogue attack (one dead), November 7, 2018, Thousand Oaks attack, (12 dead), March 9, 2018, and the Yountville Veterans Home attack (four dead), just to name a few.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.