FACT CHECK: Did Joe Biden Say The Government Would ‘Gather Up Every Gun In America’?

A video shared on Facebook purportedly shows President Joe Biden stating that the government will “gather up every gun in America.”

Verdict: False

Biden did not announce that authorities planned to collect all the country’s firearms. The clip has been taken out of context and actually shows him dismissing rumors that government officials plotted to confiscate all guns.

Fact Check:

The Oct. 7 Facebook post features a since-deleted TikTok video. In the video, Biden can be seen speaking at a podium with the American, Vice Presidential and Justice Department flags behind him.

“Find out whether you own a gun, because we’re about to really take away all your rights and you’re not gonna be able to defend yourself and we’re gonna swoop down with Special Forces folks and gather up every gun in America,” Biden says in the video.

The video clip, however, has been taken out of context. The clip comes from a speech Biden gave as vice president on April 9, 2013, which can be found on C-SPAN. Before the clipped section of the speech, Biden insisted that there would not be a central national database containing records of all gun sales under a proposed universal background check system touted by then-President Barack Obama.

The video clip on Facebook edited out the beginning of Biden’s statement, changing its meaning. Biden really said there would be “no way that Uncle Sam could find out whether you own a gun,” calling the idea that the government would confiscate all firearms a “bizarre” one “being sold out there.” (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Crowd At MetLife Stadium Chanting ‘F*** Joe Biden’?)

Check Your Fact found no news reports online of Biden ever suggesting that all guns be taken from Americans. None of his social media posts, presidential speeches or his White House’s press releases include such a proposal.

Biden has repeatedly advocated for a ban on assault weapons during his presidency, and the administration unveiled a gun crime prevention and response strategy in June. The administration also announced on Nov. 2 it would be finalizing a Justice Department rule requiring gun dealers to make firearm storage and safety devices more available, according to the White House website.

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