It has been just over a week since somebody shot and tried to kill Donald Trump. In that time, the RNC has come and gone. Gun policy was nowhere to be found.
What does all that mean for the short and long-term prospects of the gun-rights movement?
That’s the question we’ve brought Bearing Arms editor Cam Edwards on to the show to help us answer. He’s one of the best gun writers in the country, and he brings a complementary but unique view of where this is all headed.
Cam argued the silence on the Second Amendment at the RNC was evidence the gun-rights movement’s continued reliance on a single party for its influence is a real risk. However, he also said Trump’s assassination attempt may not drive new gun restrictions like some others in American history have. And he argued the GOP’s newfound skittishness toward gun politics could actually reverse if the race tightens than the other way around.
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Plus, Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover the 2024 RNC coming to a close. We then turn to a recapping of where things stand with the NRA in the second phase of its New York corruption trial. Finally, we wrap up with a discussion of a new appeals court ruling upholding gun carry rights for young adults, Massachusetts’ new omnibus gun control bill, and the Ninth Circuit’s decision to vacate yet another Second Amendment ruling.
2 Responses
Your discussion with Cam was very enlightening. I never thought about the possibility the Republican Party may be taking us Gun Owners for granted. Frankly I did not want to hear that, but your job is to bring up things that need to be said. That is why I appreciate your analysis and approach to this subject. One thing, though, Trump appointed two pro-2A Judges on the Supreme Court. I suspect conservative appointments will continue even though Trump is not discussing 2A issues.
Thanks, Stephen. That is what we try to do here at The Reload. There are lots of places that will just tell people what they want to hear. We want to be a bit different in our approach.
I think Trump’s approach on judges or even policy hasn’t really changed yet. It could change down the line, given how they’ve de-emphasized the issue. But, to your point, there was an outside event hosted by USCCA at the RNC where one of Trump’s campaign officials, Chris Lacivitta, said he would continue appointing pro-gun judges. So, there is that.