Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) is taking the lead on gun confiscation, beginning with what he calls “assault rifles.” You know — those extra dangerous rifles that he says are “more powerful and cause more carnage when used with a pistol-grip.” In an op-ed assault on the Second Amendment, Swalwell, not the brightest Democrat, proposed an Australian-type gun “buyback,” which sounds like a voluntary proposal … until he insists the government should “go after resisters” who don’t comply.

When challenged that this was the first step toward total confiscation, Swalwell insisted, “Wrong. Just assault weapons. Keep rifles, shotguns, pistols. Basically, the weapons that allow you to hunt, shoot for sport, and protect your house.” By the Left’s definition, “assault weapons” include many semiautomatic rifles. And as with nearly all Democrats these days, Swalwell reduces the Second Amendment to nothing more than hunting and home protection. Why the Founders went to such great lengths to codify a right to hunt alongside such essential liberties as free speech, religious liberty, and due process is never explained.

One of his critics fired back, “So basically @RepSwalwell wants a war. Because that’s what you would get.” Swalwell responded, “And it would be a short war my friend. The government has nukes.”

That’s right — Swalwell suggested that if you don’t comply with a “voluntary” gun buyback, the government will nuke you. “Trust the government. But also, we’ll nuke you if you resist.”

Memo to Eric: The first shots of the first American Revolution were fired when the British government attempted to seize arms in Concord, Massachusetts. And that IS the reason the Second Amendment was written into our Constitution — to guarantee the citizens’ right to defend against government tyranny. Nevertheless, Swalwell insists, “You claiming you need a gun to protect yourself against the government is ludicrous.” Says the guy who threatened to nuke American citizens.

For the record, Swalwell is assuming our military would wage a war against the American people at his bidding. Think again. The first hill they will take if so ordered will be Capitol Hill.