Washington, DC — The top Democratic candidates for president have come together as part of a new #GunSafetyPresident video series with Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The campaign launches today to make sure the American people hear from the Democratic candidates for President about the issue keeping people up at night and dominating discussion at kitchen tables across the country—the crisis of gun violence.

As today marks the first full week of September with American children heading back to school, Giffords’ new #GunSafetyPresident series starts with a first video—top Democratic candidate candidates speaking out about the epidemic of gun violence and school shootings that have become all too commonplace in American life. During the 2017–2018 school year, 4.1 million students endured at least one lockdown.




Gabrielle Giffords
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@GabbyGiffords
Americans face a historic choice in 2020: Do we accept four more years of a Trump presidency, or do we elect a leader with a plan to make us safer?

I’m proud to see so many friends running to be a #GunSafetyPresident. Listen to their message to America. https://twitter.com/GiffordsCourage/status/1171038040950575105 …

Giffords
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@GiffordsCourage
2020 candidates agree: We must do more to protect our kids from gun violence. Watch the first video in our new #GunSafetyPresident series with @JoeBiden, @CoryBooker, @PeteButtigieg, @KamalaHarris, @AmyKlobuchar, @BetoORourke, @BernieSanders, and @EWarren. http://giffords.org/gunsafetypresident …

This first video makes a clear statement—kids deserve to be safe at school and America deserves a #GunSafetyPresident. A six-figure buy will put the video in front of key voters, including in Houston ahead of the Democratic debate this Thursday evening. Today’s launch marks the beginning of an extensive effort by Giffords to elevate gun safety as a voting issue in the primary and frame the general election as a referendum on gun safety.

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords:

“Our Gun Safety President campaign frames a critical and historic choice for our nation. We can continue with the corrupt leadership of Donald Trump, who has taken millions from the NRA while opposing gun safety policies—or we can forge a new path and elect a gun safety president who’s willing to stand up to the gun lobby and protect our kids and communities from gun violence. This campaign will give Americans a closer look at just how committed the candidates running against Trump are in the fight to save lives.”

Over the next month, this pioneering campaign will let Americans hear more from the candidates on the major issues and themes on gun violence. On October 2, 2019, Giffords and March For Our Lives will host a presidential forum dedicated to addressing gun violence in America in Las Vegas.

School shootings are a uniquely American crisis that exact a heavy toll on students, both in lives lost and in psychological trauma experienced by survivors.

A student’s chance of dying in a school shooting recently reached its highest level in at least 25 years.

Almost one million high school students can legally purchase an AR-15, the firearm used in many of the deadliest mass shootings.

During the 2017–2018 school year, 4.1 million students endured at least one lockdown.

Black children are 10 times more likely than white children to be fatally shot by a gun. Every year, more than three million children witness gun violence.

Gun deaths in the United States have reached their highest level in almost 40 years, with nearly 40,000 Americans killed by a gun in 2017. The ripple effects of this crisis have been felt by communities across the country. The American public has been subjected to repeated mass shootings in schools and other civic spaces. Too often, communities of color disproportionately bear the continued impact and trauma of our nation’s gun violence epidemic.

Calls from voters to address gun violence in the Democratic primary continue to deepen.

• Following the 2018 midterms, NBC exit polling found that gun policy ranked as the #2 issue for Democratic voters, behind health care and ahead of the economy and immigration.
• The 2018 midterms saw the highest participation of young voters aged 18–29 in the past 25 years, with gun violence and the fear of school shootings a top issue driving their decision to vote in 2018.
• Democrats in the 2018 election ran and won back the House of Representatives in part becasue of their focus on robust gun violence prevention platforms, which included a 22-fold increase from the last midterms in the number of ad spots promoting safer gun laws.

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Giffords
September 16, 2019

NEW VIDEOS: Giffords Partnership with Top Presidential Candidates Unveils New Gun Safety President Video Taking on NRA Corruption 

September 16, 2019 — In a new video taking on the NRA, the top Democratic candidates for president continued the #GunSafetyPresident video series with Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The second video in the #GunSafetyPresident series features Democrat candidates standing up to corruption by the National Rifle Association (NRA) that  blocks progress in addressing the crisis of gun violence.

Despite the series of recent horrific shootings and daily violence, President Trump refuses to take action and Republicans in Congress continue to block reforms – siding with the NRA and the corporate gun lobby. This new #GunSafetyPresident video highlights the NRA’s harmful impact on our gun safety laws, amplified by recent news of an organization in disarray due to power grabs and self-dealing.


This first video in the series made a clear statement—kids deserve to be safe at school and America deserves a #GunSafetyPresident. Both videos are part of a six-figure buy that puts them in front of key voters. The launch of the inaugural video caused a national sensation and was viewed over 5 million times. The series marks the beginning of an extensive effort by Giffords to elevate gun safety as a voting issue in the primary and frame the general election as a referendum on gun safety.

Peter Ambler, Giffords Executive Director:

“The NRA was once an organization for gun owners; it’s now an organization for gun dealers. The American people are tired of their corrupt control of Republicans in Washington. Trump and Republicans in Congress are more loyal to NRA lobbyists than they are to the Americans they’re sworn to keep safe. They’re more responsive to NRA campaign contributions than they are to children doing lockdown drills. The Democratic candidates for President have the courage to take on the NRA. They’re ready to meet the twin threats of gun violence and political corruption with the courage of their convictions.”

This pioneering campaign is letting Americans hear more from the candidates on the major issues and themes on gun violence. On October 2, 2019, Giffords and March For Our Lives will host a presidential forum dedicated to addressing gun violence in America in Las Vegas – on the anniversary of the deadliest mass shooting in American history.

Gun deaths in the United States have reached their highest level in almost 40 years, with nearly 40,000 Americans killed by a gun in 2017. The ripple effects of this crisis have been felt by communities across the country. The American public has been subjected to repeated mass shootings in schools and other civic spaces. Too often, communities of color disproportionately bear the continued impact and trauma of our nation’s gun violence epidemic.

Calls from voters to address gun violence in the Democratic primary continue to deepen.

• A recently released CNN study finds 47 percent of voters rank gun policy as extremely important when choosing their Presidential candidate. This is third only behind health care and the economy and is an increase of 21 percent since May 2007.
• Following the 2018 midterms, NBC exit polling found that gun policy ranked as the #2 issue for Democratic voters, behind health care and ahead of the economy and immigration.
• The 2018 midterms saw the highest participation of young voters aged 18–29 in the past 25 years, with gun violence and the fear of school shootings a top issue driving their decision to vote in 2018.
• Democrats in the 2018 election ran and won back the House of Representatives in part because of their focus on robust gun violence prevention platforms, which included a 22-fold increase from the last midterms in the number of ad spots promoting safer gun laws.

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Giffords
September 23, 2019

Giffords Partnership with Top Presidential Candidates Unveils Latest Gun Safety President Video Demanding Background Check Vote  

September 23, 2019 — In a new video calling for Congress to pass universal background checks, the top Democratic candidates for president continued the #GunSafetyPresident video series with Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The third video in the #GunSafetyPresident series features Democratic candidates detailing how the scale of the country’s gun violence crisis requires an urgent response—beginning with enacting a law to require a background check on every gun sale.

Despite the series of recent horrific shootings and daily gun violence, President Trump refuses to take action and Republicans in Congress continue to block a vote on HR 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019. This new #GunSafetyPresident video highlights this failure to act and shows that these candidates wouldn’t be afraid to demand votes on stronger laws if elected president.


The first two powerful videos in the series feature Democratic candidates making clear statements on gun violence: kids deserve to be safe at school and it’s time to take on corruption at the National Rifle Association. The series has resonated nationwide and been viewed over 7 million times. The campaign marks the beginning of an extensive effort by Giffords to elevate gun safety as a top voting issue in the primary and frame the general election as a referendum on gun safety.

Peter Ambler, Giffords Executive Director:

“In times of crisis, America needs leadership from the White House. Gun violence is such a crisis and we know that universal background checks are part of the solution. Americans are outraged at how no place seems safe from being the site of the next shooting and lockdown drills are now routine for our children. But President Trump would rather listen to the corporate gun lobby, not American voters. As he shrinks from this moment, these Democratic candidates make clear that we need to take action starting with HR 8, which requires a background check on every gun sale.”

This pioneering campaign is letting Americans hear more from the candidates on issues related to gun violence. On October 2, 2019, Giffords and March For Our Lives will host a presidential forum dedicated to addressing gun violence in America in Las Vegas, on the day after the second anniversary of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.

Gun deaths in the United States have reached their highest level in almost 40 years, with nearly 40,000 Americans killed by a gun in 2017. The ripple effects of this crisis have been felt by communities across the country. The American public has been subjected to repeated mass shootings in schools and other civic spaces. Too often, communities of color disproportionately bear the continued impact and trauma of our nation’s gun violence epidemic.

Calls from voters to address gun violence in the Democratic primary continue to deepen.

• A recently released CNN study finds 47% of voters rank gun policy as extremely important when choosing their presidential candidate. This is third only behind health care and the economy and is an increase of 21% since May 2007.
• Following the 2018 midterms, NBC exit polling found that gun policy ranked as the #2 issue for Democratic voters, behind health care and ahead of the economy and immigration.
• The 2018 midterms saw the highest participation of young voters aged 18–29 in the past 25 years, with gun violence and the fear of school shootings a top issue driving their decision to vote in 2018.
• Democrats in the 2018 election ran and won back the House of Representatives in part because of their focus on robust gun violence prevention platforms, which included a 22-fold increase from the last midterms in the number of ad spots promoting safer gun laws.