Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said in an interview airing Saturday that offering “thoughts and prayers” in response to gun violence instead of advocating for action is “bullshit.”
“We are not going to give thoughts and prayers, which to me is just bullshit,” said the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate in an interview with CNN.
“We’re going to bring a fight with everything that I have to solve this problem because it’s solvable,” he added.
{mosads}Booker’s campaign this week released a 15-point plan to fight gun violence. His plan would require those who want to own a gun to undergo a background check and take a gun safety course to obtain a gun license that would need to be renewed every five years.
President Trump and other Republicans have been criticized for offering “thoughts and prayers” after shootings, especially by those supporting stricter gun regulations.
Booker also promised to take executive action on the issue “on Day One.”
He is among more than 20 people vying for the party’s presidential nomination.