In response to this post on whether Kerry’s receipt of a shotgun at a campaign rally violated federal law, several readers asked about President Bush’s possession of a gun that formerly belonged to Saddam Hussein. The gun is kept in the White House, according to this report. Yet, according to the President’s remarks at a June 10, 2004 press conference, it does not appear Bush is violating any relevant gun laws, as the gun does not belong to the President but to the U.S. government. The relevant text from the press conference follows. Thanks to those readers who forwarded this information.
Q: Mr. President. You do have now the personal gun of Saddam Hussein. Are you willing to give it to President al-Yawar as a symbolic gift, or are you keeping it?
THE PRESIDENT: What she’s referring to is a — members of a Delta team came to see me in the Oval Office and brought with me — these were the people that found Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq, hiding in a hole. . . . needless to say, our people were thrilled to have captured him. And in his lap was several weapons. One of them was a pistol. And they brought it to me. It’s now the property of the U.S. government. . . .
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