Biden Taps Campaign Manager Who Advocated for AR-15 Confiscation

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is hiring the architect of Beto O’Rourke’s failed primary campaign, tapping a vocal advocate of AR-15 confiscation to lead him to victory in the general election.

Jen O’Malley Dillon will be Biden’s new campaign manager, according to the Washington Post. While Biden has advocated for banning — but not confiscating — so-called assault weapons, Dillon led O’Rourke’s campaign as it adopted some of the most radical anti-gun policies in the Democratic field.

The longtime Democratic strategist also publicly backed the former Texas congressman when he called for the confiscation of AR-15s and other popular firearms in the wake of the El Paso shooting.

“My son is 17 months old, which shouldn’t fucking matter,” she tweeted in response to a September interview in which O’Rourke reiterated his call for AR-15 and AK-47 confiscation. “But thinking of that baby with shrapnel is [sic] his face almost broke me. GET EVERY ONE OF THOSE GODDAMN GUNS OFF OUR STREETS.”

What Jen O’Malley Dillon means for Joe Biden
While Biden and Dillon appear to have conflicting views on confiscation, it is not clear how the difference will affect the campaign moving forward. Dr. Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, told the Washington Free Beacon that campaign managers often shift their positions in accord with their candidate’s views.

“No one can say for sure but here’s what I’ve learned from watching a thousand campaigns,” he said. “The managers who survive and prosper are those who adjust their views to fit the candidate, and not the other way around.”

David Adams

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