During an August 19 campaign stop in North Carolina, Donald Trump shot an M4 rifle with Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell.

The M4 is a military/law enforcement AR-15 variant.

According to the Associated Press, Trump shot the rifle after “[stopping] by the gun range of the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge in Iredell County before a scheduled meeting at the lodge with law enforcement officers.” Afterward, Sheriff Campbell said, “This man can shoot.”

During a July 2015 interview with Ammoland, Trump was asked about Democrat and media-led efforts to ban “assault rifles,” especially AR-15s. He stated that he opposed such bans and suggested Democrat and media personalities are fixated on the rifle simply because it is one of America’s favorite guns. He said:

You mention that the media describes the AR-15 as an “assault rifle,” which is one example of the many distortions they use to sell their agenda. However, the AR-15 does not fall under this category. Gun-banners are unfortunately preoccupied with the AR-15, magazine capacity, grips, and other aesthetics, precisely because of its popularity.

Breitbart News previously reported that Trump is a Lifetime member of the NRA and concealed permit holder. On April 11, 2015, Trump told Breitbart News that the Second Amendment must be maintained “in its strongest form.”

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.