Of all the liberal media wailing over last Tuesday’s win by Donald Trump in the presidential election, an analysis posted at Huffpost.com was perhaps the most interesting—mainly because while bemoaning what a Trump presidency might mean for gun control, the outlet did a good job outlining why most gun owners supported the former president.
In the piece headlined “What A Trump Win Means For Guns” and under the subhead “The election deals a major blow to the movement to reform gun laws,” author Roque Planas started by perpetuating a lie that most in the “mainstream” media use quite often.
“The movement to expand gun rights gained further momentum Tuesday as voters returned Donald Trump to the White House,” the story stated. Of course, gun rights don’t need any expansion. The problem is that many government entities don’t recognize the Second Amendment. Forcing governments to recognize that doesn’t expand rights; it simply ensures the Second Amendment receives the respect it deserves.
The Op-Ed continued: “Trump’s election promises to make the burgeoning Second Amendment movement stronger. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to roll back the few executive-level reform efforts that President Joe Biden attempted to push through using the ATF’s rulemaking authority.”
Of course, that’s also a good thing. From the “pistol brace” rule to redefining who is “in the business” of selling guns, these rules should be rolled back, and sooner instead of later.
The story also bemoans: “While Trump’s election dooms already-stalled reform efforts at the federal level for another four years, it remains an open question how a second Trump White House will shift the debate.”
Over the weekend, that “open question” received a few answers. Trump is promising to sign a national concealed carry reciprocity bill if Congress can manage to pass one. And while the results of the U.S. House election are still coming in, Republicans are getting close to the 218 seats they need to retain the majority and increase the possibility of a reciprocity measure making it to Trump’s desk.
The Op-Ed also pointed out yet another reason most gun owners were in the Trump camp—his pro-2A running vice presidential candidate—and bemoaned the fact that he had once called for abolishing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), however, has built a track record as a gun enthusiast and Second Amendment absolutist whose views may prove influential,” it stated.
“While running for his Senate seat, Vance accused the ATF of spying on Americans by creating a database of gun transactions—a claim that PolitiFact has rated as false.”
The author wrapped up the Op-Ed by quoting the head of a prominent gun-ban group trying to be positive, even though most anti-gun advocates realize they are likely in for a rough four years.
“We know, like the vast majority of Americans, that this should be a country where Americans are free from gun violence,” said Emma Brown, executive director of Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “We have every expectation that the Republicans and Democrats that we have worked with to notch all of these wins over the last decade will continue to work with us to secure that progress that is supported by the vast, vast majority of Americans because it is lifesaving and needed.”
In the end, what was intended to be a scare piece for gun-control advocates was yet another good explanation of why Americans voted the way they did and elected Trump to another four years in the White House.
