This week, we got a glimpse into how Democrats are going to handle guns in the wake of their 2024 loss.
David Hogg, the prominent and aggressive gun-control activist, became one of the DNC’s vice chairs. His bombastic style and the lack of Democratic support for pro-gun legislation send a clear signal on where the party is at today, as I explain in a member’s piece.
Trump’s Attorney General pick was confirmed this week, too. And she took some immediate action on the ATF. But probably not the action gun-rights advocates were hoping for.
In the courts, a federal judge tossed machinegun possession charges against a Mississippi man. Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman also breaks down the potential ramifications of the Fifth Circuit’s ruling on handgun sales age restrictions.
Plus, Karl Kasarda of InRangeTV joins the podcast to talk about the fight over the Second Amendment for all. We also have a ton of stories in the links, including another Trump nominee on the gun regulations he wants to undo and Facebook telling Trump Jr. it plans to loosen gun restrictions.
Gun-Control Activist David Hogg Tapped for DNC Vice Chair
By Jake Fogleman
A mass-shooting survivor turned gun-control activist will help steer the Democratic Party’s political response to being shut out of federal power.
David Hogg, a Parkland shooting survivor and March for Our Lives co-founder, was elected vice chair of the Democratic National Committee on Saturday. He secured his position alongside two other vice chairs and new party chairman Ken Martin, the former head of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, to help lead the DNC’s efforts to regain electoral ground and combat the second Trump administration.
“I’m deeply grateful to the members for their trust and belief in me, and I don’t take it lightly,” Hogg wrote on X after winning his election. “Now it’s time to get to work.”
Analysis: Democrats Signal No Shift on Guns [Member Exclusive]
By Stephen Gutowski
While a significant number of Democrats have shifted positions on some issues in the wake of their 2024 loss, the same can’t be said about guns.
On Saturday, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) elevated a prominent gun-control activist to its leadership. David Hogg won one of the vice chair spots at the national organization. He first gained notoriety after helping organize March for Our Lives in the wake of a shooting at his high school in Parkland, Florida. Since then, he’s become one of the most aggressive gun-control activists in the country–backing gun bans and advocating for the expulsion of those in his party who disagree.
Meanwhile, few in the party have backed the pro-gun bills beginning to make their way into Congress. Between the House and Senate versions of five major pro-gun bills, there is exactly one that’s garnered any Democratic support at all thus far. That bill, the House’s version of the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, has precisely one Democratic co-sponsor.
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Bondi Confirmed as AG Despite Gun Group Objections
By Stephen Gutowski
The Senate confirmed Donald Trump’s pick for the top law enforcement official in the land over complaints from some gun-rights advocates on Wednesday.
In a 54-46 vote, the upper chamber of Congress approved Pam Bondi’s ascension to Attorney General, with Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman as the only crossover vote in support. Her confirmation came despite opposition from some gun-rights activists over her mixed history on gun policy. Gun Owners of America expressed a willingness to work with Bondi but also skepticism about her intentions.
“Gun owners have seen firsthand how an anti-gun Attorney General can abuse their power to undermine the Constitution,” Erich Pratt, the group’s senior vice president, said in a statement. “Pam Bondi’s confirmation is a stark reminder that we must stay vigilant to ensure she defends, rather than dismantles, our God-given rights.”
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Bondi Orders ATF to Shift Resources Away from Alcohol, Tobacco
By Stephen Gutowski
In one of her first acts as Attorney General, Pam Bondi ordered an apparent reshuffling of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
As part of a memo outlining the Trump Administration’s approach to charging and sentencing, Bondi ordered the ATF to deprioritize some enforcement efforts. Instead, she told the agency to focus resources on areas ranging from immigration enforcement to human trafficking and transnational gangs. However, she also told them not to deprioritize firearms regulations.
“To free resources to address more pressing priorities, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) shall shift resources from its Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement Programs to focus on matters relating to the other priorities set forth herein,” Bondi said in the memo. “No resources shall be diverted from the ATF’s regulatory responsibilities, such as federal firearms licenses and background checks.”
Federal Judge Rules Machinegun Charges Against Mississippi Man Violate Second Amendment
By Stephen Gutowski
Merely possessing a machinegun is not a crime, according to one federal judge.
US District Judge Carlton Reeves dismissed charges against Justin Bryce Brown, a Mississippi man with no prior criminal record, over his ownership of an unregistered machinegun last week. He found the federal law effectively banning the sale and possession of new production or unregistered machineguns was unconstitutional as applied to Brown’s specific circumstances. He argued the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2022’s New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen required him to reach that conclusion.
“The controlling standard of the moment requires this Court to ‘determin[e] the contours of acceptable prosecutions through the resolution of continual as-applied challenges,’ based on the evidence and arguments before it,” Judge Reeves wrote in US v. Brown. “Under that standard, Mr. Brown’s as-applied challenge is sustained. His motion is granted and the case dismissed.”
Podcast: InRangeTV’s Karl Kasarda on the Fight Over the Second Amendment for Everyone
By Stephen Gutowski
This week, we’ve got one of the most prominent and longest-running Guntubers on the show.
InRangeTV’s Karl Kasarda joins the podcast to discuss his view of the Second Amendment and the backlash his advocacy has generates from other sections of the gun owning community. He argues gun rights belong to everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Not everyone agrees with that list.
You can listen to the show on your favorite podcasting app or by clicking here. Video of the episode is available on our YouTube channel.
Plus, Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss new claims from the gun industry about the ATF continuing to enforce its controversial “zero tolerance” policy despite Trump’s promises to reverse it. We talk about Trump’s lack of gun policy action so far and why some gun-rights groups are starting to speak out. We also cover a significant new ruling out of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals where a three judge panel just struck down the federal handgun sales ban for young adults.
Analysis: Potential Ramifications of the 5th Circuit’s Handgun Ruling [Member Exclusive]
By Jake Fogleman
All of a sudden, age-based gun restrictions have become the dark horse candidate for the Supreme Court’s next Second Amendment case.
Its route to the Court has a chance to alter the course of gun politics and policy over the next few years. On Thursday, a unanimous three-judge panel for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a combination of federal statutes that ban adults aged 18 to 20 from purchasing handguns at licensed gun stores.
“In sum, 18 U.S.C. §§ 992(b)(1), (c)(1) and their attendant regulations are unconstitutional in light of our Nation’s historic tradition of firearm regulation,” Judge Edith Jones wrote in Reese v. ATF. The ruling marks the first time an appellate court has invalidated the federal handgun sales age limit since the Supreme Court set its new Second Amendment test in Bruen. Its aftermath raises numerous political and legal considerations for gun-rights advocates and the government officials they’ve come to support.
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Outside The Reload
Trump nominee will review Biden restrictions on firearms exports | Reuters | By David Shepardson
Donald Trump Jr.’s Company Met With Meta About Firearms Censorship | Daily Beast | By Sean Craig
How YouTube Is Changing American Gun Culture | New York Times | By Thomas Gibbons-Neff
That’s it for this week in guns.
I’ll see you all next week.
Thanks,
Stephen Gutowski
Founder
The Reload
