Of all of the cockamamy ideas that have been floated during the 2020 Democratic primary campaigns, the possibility of enforcing a mandatory “buyback” of assault rifles may be one of the most asinine.

Those who were the most vocal proponents of these doomed policies soon found themselves on the outside looking in, with Beto O’Rourke and Eric Swalwell both conceding defeat shortly after proposing the possibility.

Now, self-professed democratic socialist Bernie Sanders is hoping to avoid a similar fate, boisterously blasting the idea as unconstitutional.

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Mandatory gun buybacks are unconstitutional and could give the federal government broad power to impose their will on law-abiding citizens, said 2020 presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Sunday.

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Sanders was taking questions at a green jobs town hall in Charles City, Iowa, when he was asked for his opinion on mandatory buybacks of AR15s and AK47s.

“I don’t support — a mandatory buyback is essentially confiscation, which I think is unconstitutional,” he replied. “It means that I am going to walk into your house and take something whether you like it or not. I don’t think that stands up to constitutional scrutiny.”

Sanders shared his gun control plan, which included taking an adversarial stance against the National Rifle Association, increasing background checks and banning the sale of assault weapons.

This could very well be a calculated move by Sanders, who likely recognizes that the Democrats are seeking a more centrist candidate for the 2020 general election.

The sudden emergence of former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg into the race could propel other left-leaning candidates to run to the center as well.

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