Somebody’s feeling a little sassypants this week, after last week’s big GOP election losses in California. That somebody, who’s also one of Nancy Pelosi’s top surrogates, is Rep. Eric Swalwell, also from the (mostly gun-free but feces filled) Bay Area.

Swalwell wrote an op-ed appearing in Friday’s USA Today in which he proposed banning the possession of “assault weapons” and creating a $15 billion fund to buy back such weapons from people who “want to comply” with the law (using a laughable figure of $200 per gun), and criminally prosecuting those who don’t comply. Of course, there would be an exception for law enforcement officers and shooting clubs (and presumably the guns would have to be kept on site).

His proposal, which he attempted to justify with a slew of inaccurate facts and assumptions, is frightening on its own, but what he had to say Friday afternoon about enforcing it on Twitter is even worse. It started when Dana Loesch and a few other pundits tweeted out the link to his op-ed and Swalwell doubled down.

She’s not lying. We should ban assault weapons by buying them back or restricting them to ranges/clubs. #EnoughIsEnough https://t.co/XbRpOvXlF3 — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 16, 2018

Then one gun owner pointed out one small flaw in Swalwell’s plan. No gun owner is going to willingly give up their Second Amendment rights.

So basically @RepSwalwell wants a war. Because that’s what you would get. You’re outta your fucking mind if you think I’ll give up my rights and give the gov all the power. https://t.co/bK1GVyjFej — Joe Biggs (@Rambobiggs) November 16, 2018

Swalwell hit back, hard, giving the perfect illustration of WHY we need the Second Amendment.

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

The government has “legit” nukes, Swalwell points out, which would make it a short war.

Let that sink in. A member of the US House of Representatives is on Twitter telling someone that the government will nuke them if they don’t give up their constitutionally-protected rights?

Swalwell doesn’t see it that way. He believes an “assault weapon” ban doesn’t infringe one’s Second Amendment rights, and, hey, he was joking anyway.

Joe, it’s sarcasm. He said he’s going to war with America if gun legislation was passed. I told him his government has nukes. God forbid we use sarcasm 🤷‍♂️ — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 16, 2018

In reading Swalwell’s reply, it’s important to really look at his wording. He says that Joe Biggs “said he’s going to war with America if gun legislation was passed.” It looks like Swalwell is attempting to paint dissent as… something very different.

When Biggs calls him out on saying he’d use nukes on our own citizens, Swalwell turns it around and tells Biggs his comment “inflames the gun debate.”

Don’t be so dramatic. No one is nuking anyone or threatening that. I’m telling you this is not the 18th Century. The argument that you would go to war with your government if an assault weapons ban was in place is ludicrous and inflames the gun debate. Which is what you want. https://t.co/oX0rY7Nbs1 — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 16, 2018

And now HE is the victim.

America’s gun debate in one thread. 1) I propose a buy-back of assault weapons 2) 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 tyrant 5) 0 progress — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 16, 2018

His points are actually all correct. He is a tyrant, or at least a wannabe, and would absolutely use whatever force necessary to enforce his civil rights grab if he were able. Zero progress is being made, but it’s not because of someone like Joe Biggs. It’s because of intellectually dishonest politicians like Swalwell who have zero interest in seriously talking about a solution to gun violence.

Every once in a while, those politicians let their masks slip and show us exactly what their end goals are. Eric Swalwell showed himself very clearly Friday.