Bernie Sanders reminds Jake Tapper that he has a 'D-minus' rating from the NRA

In a Sunday interview, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that he is the candidate who can "get beyond the noise" around the issue of gun control and pass meaningful legislation to make Americans safer.

The Hill reported that Sanders was appearing on CNN's State of the Union with Jake Tapper. Tapper said that Sanders' rivals are portraying him as weak on the issue of gun control.

“I do not accept the fact that I have been weak on this issue. I have been strong on this issue,” Sanders said.

“In fact, coming from a rural state that has almost no gun control, I think I can get beyond the noise and all of these arguments and people shouting at each other and come up with real constructive gun control legislation which, most significantly, gets guns out of the hands of people who should not have them,” he continued.

"Your Democratic rivals have been arguing that, when it comes to guns, you are out of step with liberal and progressive primary voters on the issue of gun control," Tapper countered. "A surrogate for Hillary Clinton, Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy, he went to New Hampshire and said that your gun votes had been driven by, quote, 'political expediency,' and that this is a dividing line between you and Hillary Clinton. Your response?"

"Well, let me tell you, I have, as I understand it, a lifetime voting record from the NRA of D-minus," Sanders replied. "D-minus. I voted very strongly for instant background checks. I want to see them made stronger, probably the most important thing that we can do."

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