With Super Tuesday in the rearview mirror and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley dropping out of the race, it appears that the election day slate is set with President Joe Biden (D) facing former President Donald Trump (R). While there’s still plenty of time between now and Nov. 5, it seems like a good time to compare the two candidates’ record on gun ownership and the Second Amendment.
We’ve chronicled numerous times how, in his three-plus years in office, President Biden has counted gun owners, manufacturers, and retailers among his top “enemies.” His weaponization of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is just one facet of that war on private gun ownership in America.
Through the use of these bureaucratic agencies making laws instead of enforcing them, the Biden administration forced through Final Rules banning so-called “ghost guns” and redefining pistols utilizing stabilizing braces as “short-barreled rifles.” Both were blatant examples of the administration making laws that it couldn’t get passed by Congress—the entity that’s constitutionally charged with making laws.
Biden has also made a concerted effort to take away the rights of young adults aged 18 to 20 years old; in fact, in a speech last year, the president specifically mentioned adults in this age group when pushing to ban “assault weapons.”
“If we can’t ban assault weapons, as we should, we must at least raise the age to be able to purchase one to 21,” said Biden.
Of course, his near-daily push to ban popular semi-automatic firearms, which are owned by an estimated 18 million lawful Americans, along with the standard-capacity magazines often used in those firearms has become nauseating to hear again and again. As recently as just last month, Biden again made such a push.
“It is time to act,” said Biden. “That’s where I stand. And I ask the country to stand with me. To make your voice heard in Congress so we finally act to ban assault weapons, to limit high-capacity magazines, strengthen background checks, keep guns out of the hands of those who have no business owning them or handling them.”
Biden even created his own office of gun control within the White House, calling it the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. On Dec. 13, 2023, Biden’s newly established office of gun control hosted nearly 100 Democrat lawmakers from 39 states to encourage them to pass more-restrictive firearm laws.
Other assaults he has made on gun owners include a recent proposed Engaged In the Business Final Rule, which would force just about anyone who might trade or sell a gun to a friend, family member, or someone else to either apply for an FFL or never be able to transfer or trade a firearm. The Biden administration’s Department of Education also moved to cut funding to schools for archery or hunter-education programs. Congress later passed a bill killing that bad idea.
If Biden’s assault on gun owners seems extreme, his treatment of gun manufacturers and retailers has been equally harsh. His constant calls to do away with the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) would allow gun makers to be sued for the criminal misuse of their lawfully made, safe products. And the “zero-tolerance” policy he instituted for gun sellers has resulted in a huge jump in licensed dealers being forced out of business for simple, unintentional paperwork errors.
Of course, we could write many more pages on Biden’s disdain for gun owners and their rights, but the point has been made.
On the other hand, former President Trump was a friend to lawful gun owners. His remaking of the federal court system by appointing 234 federal judges has resulted in many, many judicial victories for the Second Amendment, including some in what has been often considered the anti-Second Amendment Ninth Circuit.
His appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court were no less critical, giving the court a solid pro-Constitution, and thus pro-Second Amendment, majority. Trump also helped scuttle multiple gun-control bills in Congress during his presidency. When Congress was considering so-called “universal background” checks, he vowed to veto the measure, abruptly putting an end to the matter.
During his tenure, Trump also published a rule that updated America’s regulatory regime for the export of firearms; as well as related parts, components, and accessories. The changes moved firearm-related commerce from an antiquated Cold War paradigm into the modern era of broader international trade and access to information.
The Trump administration even took action to counteract ongoing banking discrimination against businesses that serve America’s gun owners. That move basically did away with Operation Choke Point, instituted by the Obama/Biden administration in an effort to shut down gun-related businesses by removing their access to necessary financial instruments.
On another refreshing note, right after his inauguration, President Trump tasked Attorney General Jeff Sessions with prioritizing the prosecution of felony firearm offenses. That resulted in a huge jump in prosecutions of violent criminals who had been basically ignored by the Obama/Biden administration.
Finally, as recently as February, Trump promised to continue to support gun owners and the Second Amendment.
“For four incredible years, it was my honor to be the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House by far,” said Trump at the NRA’s Great American Outdoor Shot. “Now I stand before you with a simple promise, your Second Amendment will always be safe with me as your president.”
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