Former President Donald Trump (R) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D) will face off tomorrow in the first, and possibly only, debate between the two presidential nominees. They could not have more different political philosophies when it comes to our Second Amendment-protected freedom.
Kamala Harris
Harris has largely dodged the press after Joe Biden was forced off the top of the Democrat ticket; in fact, as this was being written, since accepting the appointment as nominee from the Democratic Party, she had sat down for only one interview. She has also claimed to have flipped on many of her stances, but on the Second Amendment, she has always stood against freedom. Having been in public office for two decades, she has a long record that shows a clear picture.
As district attorney of San Francisco, Harris endorsed an amicus curiae brief in support of the District of Columbia’s handgun ban in the landmark Heller case (2008), which struck down the ban, ruling that the Second Amendment protects an individual right. In the brief, Harris argued that the Second Amendment does not protect an individual right.
While running for the presidency four years ago, a campaign that failed spectacularly, Harris said, “Upon being elected, I will give the United States Congress 100 days to get their act together and have the courage to pass reasonable gun safety laws. And if they fail to do it, then I will take executive action.”
Perhaps most concerning is Harris’ support for outright confiscation. At a 2020 campaign event (again, for president), Harris told supporters that the confiscation of commonly owned firearms was a “good idea.” She also expressed support for a “buyback” program, saying, “We have to have a buyback program.”
“Mandatory buybacks” are merely a more polite way of referring to the forced confiscation of legally purchased and possessed firearms. Once any guns she does not like are deemed illegal, Harris suggests trying to soften the idea of the government seizing private property by paying the former owners something—with our tax dollars, of course.
More recently, she was handpicked by President Joe Biden (D) to lead the newly created “Office of Gun Violence Prevention.” The goals of this “office” include nearly every gun-control item imaginable, including bans on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles, repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act and much more.
Harris would also likely nominate justices to the federal courts who do not believe the Second Amendment is an individual right. If she got the chance, she would nominate justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who would vote to overturn Heller.
In short, Harris is opposed to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Bill of Rights. Hopefully, this topic will come up during the debate.
Donald Trump
Former President Trump’s record is basically the opposite to Harris’. Such is why the NRA Political Victory Fund endorsed Trump, yet again, for the presidency.
Speaking at the 2024 NRA Leadership Forum in Dallas, Texas, Trump said, “The NRA has stood with me from the very beginning. And with your vote I will stand strong for your rights and liberties.”
As president, Trump nominated Supreme Court justices who have records of interpreting the U.S. Constitution as it was originally written. These nominations were crucial in the Court’s decision in Bruen, which affirmed that our Second Amendment rights do not cease to exist once we cross the threshold of our front doors. Trump also nominated numerous judges throughout the lower courts, including 54 appellate judges and 174 district judges.
He also signed into law the Fix NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) Act in 2018, a bill that strengthened enforcement of federal gun laws without expanding them or imposing new restrictions on law-abiding citizens.
During the outset of the COVID pandemic, Trump designated gun stores and shooting ranges as “essential businesses” so that they could stay open despite the whims of local and state officials who sought to close them.
One thing that didn’t happen during Trump’s presidency was the passage of any major gun-control legislation. With the country under his stewardship, Trump defended the Second Amendment and laid the groundwork for it to be protected for years to come.
And in his 2020 State of the Union address, then-President Trump promised the American people: “Just as we believe in the First Amendment, we believe in another constitutional right that is under siege all across our country. So long as I am president, I will always protect your Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms.”
In addition to the presidential debate(s), vice presidential nominees Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) will face off on October 1. America’s 1st Freedom will soon be detailing the wide margin between those two candidates’ views as well.
