CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Buttigieg Sunday on “State of the Union” if he thinks the former Texas congressman played into the hands of the GOP when he said at Thursday’s primary debate, “hell yes we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.”

“Yes,” Buttigieg responded.

“Look, right now we have an amazing moment in our hands,” he added.

Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., said the majority of Americans have shown support for universal background checks, so-called “red flag” laws and a ban on the new sale of assault weapons.

“This is a golden moment to do something, we’ve been arguing about this for as long as I’ve bene alive” he said.