A Republican Texas lawmaker has told Beto O’Rourke “my AR is ready for you” after the Democratic presidential candidate pledged to ban and confiscate AR-15 rifles during Thursday night’s TV debate. Twitter quickly removed Briscoe Cain’s post, saying that it violated the company’s terms and conditions on threats of violence. O’Rourke’s campaign labeled the tweet a “death threat” and told The Guardian it had been reported to the FBI. Posting a screenshot of the tweet, O’Rourke’s campaign said: “This is a death threat, Representative. Clearly, you shouldn’t own an AR-15—and neither should anyone else.” Cain, 34, mocked Twitter users who called his comment a threat of violence, telling one: “You’re an idiot.”
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