Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said Thursday during the Democratic primary debate that assault weapons are “weapons from the military” that should not be legal to purchase.

Sanders was asked by MSNBC debate moderator Rachel Maddow if he still felt states should make decisions about gun regulations, implying that he had changed his position over his years.

“We have a gun crisis right now 40,000 people a year are getting killed,” Sanders said. “In 1988, when it wasn’t popular, I ran on a platform of banning assault weapons.”

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“I believe what we need is comprehensive gun legislation that, among other things, provides universal background checks, we end the gun show loophole, we end the straw man provision,” Sanders continued.

“I believed in 1988 and I believe today that assault weapons are weapons from the military that should not be on the streets of America.” (RELATED: Rep. Eric Swalwell Makes Embarrassing Constitutional Gaffe)

“If the government wants to do that, then yes,” Sanders replied when pressed by Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell on how he planned to get rid of assault weapons.

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