Sanders: ‘I absolutely agree’ with Obama on guns

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is doubling down on his support for President Obama’s executive actions to strengthen gun background checks in the face of mounting attacks from his chief Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton.

In a speech Saturday, Sanders set out to “set the record straight” on a stance that he said has become distorted.  

{mosads}“I absolutely agree with what the president is trying to do with his executive order,” Sanders said to a cheers at a Democratic candidate forum. Clinton was not in attendance.

“I know I’m being attacked as being a stooge for the NRA. Well, some stooge, I have a D-minus lifetime voting record,” he said.

Sanders, who hails from a rural state that he said has “virtually no gun control,” has been criticized by gun-control activists for not taking a strong enough stance on legislation to prevent gun violence.

Clinton seized on those attacks Friday, calling out Sanders for being on the right of both Clinton and Obama on gun control.

The Sanders campaign pushed back Saturday, with his campaign manager arguing that Clinton lodged similar attacks at President Obama during their first campaign.

“Today she’s attacking Bernie on guns. Eight years ago she attacked Barack Obama on guns,” Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver wrote on the presidential candidate’s official Twitter account.