Rep: We had to borrow baseball equipment that 'didn't have blood or bullet holes

The meaning and gravity of the Congressional Baseball Game last week, preceded by the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and other congressional staffers at practice the day before, is lost on none but the hardest of hearts. But Congressman Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) shared a story you may not have heard with Mike Opelka on today’s “Pure Opelka.”

The Washington Nationals donated catching equipment to the Republican players because their own equipment was evidence from the June 14 shooting. The FBI gave them back anything that wasn’t covered in blood or riddled with bullet holes just two hours before the game, but it still needed to be supplemented by D.C.'s major league team.

Loudermilk said that he hopes the nation's capital will honor the second amendment and allow citizens to carry their own guns. He reported that his chief of staff was parked 10-15 yards away and could have taken a shot at James Hodgkinson, but because of D.C.'s restrictive gun laws, no one except the Capitol Police was armed.

“I want to be able to shoot back," the congressman said. "I’m no better than any other citizen out there, but the truth is, I’m a target.”

To see more from Mike, visit his channel on TheBlaze and listen live to “Pure Opelka” weekdays 12-3 p.m. ET, "Pure Opelka Replay" weekdays 10-1 a.m. ET & “Pure Opelka” Saturdays 6–9 a.m. ET, only on TheBlaze Radio Network.