This week saw the first (maybe only?) presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. It featured very little discussion of gun policy, but it did feature a reminder many were probably surprised by: Kamala Harris owns a handgun.
She used that fact to push back on the idea she’d confiscate everyone’s guns, as Trump claimed. I examine whether Harris’s gun ownership has the potential to really impact the race.
The debate wasn’t the only big news, though. I was also on the ground at the NRA’s latest board meeting, where major decisions about the future of the group were made as it tried to finish out its corruption trial. As is often the case, I was the only reporter there for the 15-hour marathon meeting.
We also got some new insight into how the NRA is spending the money it’s managed to raise, especially how it plans to shift the balance of power in the Senate. And a new poll gave us a glimpse at how Americans are reacting after the Georgia school shooting. Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman also looks at how the Ninth Circuit upheld a near-total gun carry ban in one state but not another.
Plus, Steve Hayes of The Dispatch joins the podcast to discuss guns in the 2024 race. And we have lots of links to great stories at the end of the email.
Harris, Trump Clash Over Whether She’ll ‘Confiscate Everybody’s Gun’
By Stephen Gutowski
The first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris got heated over whether the Democrat would try to confiscate firearms if elected.
On Tuesday night, Trump accused Harris of wanting to take Americans’ guns away at multiple points during the debate. She made a point of responding to those accusations.
“She has a plan to confiscate everybody’s gun,” Trump said.
Analysis: Does Kamala Harris Owning a Gun Matter? [Member Exclusive]
By Stephen Gutowski
During a contentious fight over guns at Tuesday’s debate with Donald Trump, Kamala Harris brought up a little-discussed fact to defend her position: she is a gun owner.
“This business about taking everyone’s guns away; Tim Walz and I are both gun owners. We’re not taking anyone’s guns away,” Harris said in response to Trump on Tuesday. “So, stop with the continuous lying about this stuff.”
That’s a new tactic for Harris in her effort to reassure voters she’s more moderate than her record and previous run for president might imply. But will it have much effect?
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Marathon NRA Board Meeting Ends With Reform Proposal
By Stephen Gutowski
Irving, Texas — A 15-hour meeting of the National Rifle Association’s board of directors ended just after midnight on Saturday with a reform plan.
The meeting, which was in a confidential executive session for nearly 12 hours, produced a proposal the board will send to New York Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Joel Cohen in an effort to finalize the group’s long-running civil corruption case. However, details of the proposal were not made public. Doug Hamlin, the new CEO and Executive Vice President of the NRA, said the meeting went so long because there was significant disagreement over the right approach, and the NRA wouldn’t immediately make details of the proposal public because it was part of ongoing litigation.
“During the marathon session today, there was not universal agreement on all the major issues discussed,” Hamlin told The Reload. “On some of the tactical elements, there wasn’t an entire consensus. However, we do agree that the primary goal is to return the NRA to its rightful place in American society.”
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NRA Launches $2 Million Ad Buy in Montana Senate Race
By Jake Fogleman
The country’s largest gun-rights group has officially joined the fight over control of the Senate.
On Tuesday, the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund unveiled a $2 million television ad buy attacking incumbent Senator Jon Tester (D., Mont.). The new ad, which depicts a Montana mother gearing up to defend her rural home from an impending home invasion, criticizes Tester for voting in support of gun-control legislation and being insufficiently protective of the right of armed self-defense.
“Where I live, you can’t wait for 911. My family’s safety is in my hands alone,” a female voice says in the new ad. “But gun grabbers who’ve never been to Montana, let alone out here, want to take my rights away.”
“My gun is in my pocket,” the ad continues. “But my Senator is in theirs.”
Click here to read the full piece.
First Poll Since Georgia School Shooting Shows Uptick in Support for Gun Restrictions
By Stephen Gutowski
Americans are somewhat more likely to back new gun-control measures in the wake of the most recent high-profile shooting.
At least, that’s what the latest poll released by The Economist and YouGov shows. On Wednesday, the pair released a survey that found American adults backed universal background checks and “red flag” measures at a higher rate than the last time they asked about them.
82 percent of adults said they favor requiring background checks on all gun buyers, including those using private sales. That’s up two points from the last time YouGov asked the question in February 2023 but up nine points from when it asked in April 2022. Meanwhile, 73 percent backed allowing a court to “temporarily remove guns from people that are believed to pose a danger to themself or others,” an increase of four points from February 2023 and five points from January 2023.
Podcast: The Dispatch’s Steve Hayes on the 2024 Gun Debate, Georgia School Shooting Fallout
By Stephen Gutowski
This week, we’ve got one of the nation’s premier political analysts on the show.
Steve Hayes, co-founder of The Dispatch, joined us to discuss the state of the 2024 gun debate. He gave his take on the path Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have taken in their respective campaigns. Then he turned to how the recent mass shooting at a Georgia High School might shake up those positions.
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 what the shooting means for the trend of criminally charging the parents of mass shooters. We also talk about a new political ad campaign launched by gun-control group March for Our Lives and Ben & Jerry’s targeted at voters in swing states. We wrap up with some original reporting on the upcoming NRA board meeting, where the group is potentially set to vote on an internal reform program and consider separating from its longtime outside legal counsel, William Brewer.
Analysis: How a Federal Appeals Court Just Blessed a De Facto Gun-Carry Ban [Member Exclusive]
By Jake Fogleman
With a new first-of-its-kind appeals court ruling, the most consistent streak in post-Bruen litigation has now been broken.
A unanimous three-judge panel for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday issued a split ruling on the constitutionality of both Hawaii and California’s so-called Bruen-response bills. In doing so, it upheld lower court injunctions against a handful of newly created “sensitive places” in each state but reversed several others. The ruling, for the first time ever, upheld a default ban on gun carry in publicly accessible private property, which severely limits where even licensed individuals can legally carry.
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Outside The Reload
Whistleblower Lawsuit Filed Against NRA In Virginia Court | Only Guns and Money | By John Richardson
Fifth Circuit Reaffirms Rahimi’s Conviction Following SCOTUS Decision
That’s it for this week in guns.
I’ll see you all next week.
Thanks,
Stephen Gutowski
Founder
The Reload
