By: Anthony Morelli
Democrats are hoping to pressure Trump to do their bidding.
They are ratcheting up their campaign for gun control.
And they are showing no signs of stopping.
Donald Trump surely isn’t planning to pass any new gun control laws into effect, but that is not stopping Democrats from trying to build up the pressure on him.
They know that by themselves, they almost certainly cannot get any new gun control measures through Congress, since they’re in the minority in both chambers and don’t have the votes.
But they’re still introducing bills anyway, which on one hand is just a way of signaling to their constituents that they’re “doing something,” but also could be a way of pressuring Trump.
If Trump were to come out for gun control, even if it’s not the most extreme measures Democrats really want, it would change everything, and Democrats surely know it.
The more they introduce these bills and get press, the more Trump may feel pressured on this issue.
And gun owners need to make it clear that they are paying attention and won’t accept any new federal restrictions.
According to The Truth About Guns, “Earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, introduced a measure that would raise the minimum age to buy so-called ‘assault weapons’ and misnamed ‘high-capacity’ ammunition magazines from 18 to 21.”
“As the National Shooting Sports Foundation pointed out in late 2023, there are more Modern Sporting Rifles (NSSF’s term for what antis call ‘assault weapons’) in circulation than there are Ford F-150s trucks on the road. By any figure, that’s a firearm that’s commonly owned, commonly used and protected ‘arms’ under the Second Amendment.
“Despite that fact, the bill lowering the age to 18 is being pushed by a who’s who of gun-ban groups, including March for Our Lives, Giffords, Newtown Action Alliance, Everytown for Gun Safety and Brady, formerly called Handgun Control Inc.”
There are, however, some Republicans pushing back in the opposite direction in the other chamber of Congress.
The article continues, “Meanwhile, in the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans are making a push to recognize the infringed-upon rights of 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds. On February 27, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, reintroduced the Second Amendment for Every Registrable (SAFER) Voter Act, which would lower the age from 21 to 18 for purchasing a handgun from a federal firearms licensee (FFL).”
Trump, however, is angry with Massie right now and might just reject his ideas off-hand, even if they are good.
And Democrats are betting that if gun control becomes a hot-button topic in the news again, they can sway Trump.
They may or may not be correct, but it surely appears to be one of the key reasons they are still introducing gun control bills, despite not currently having the votes to pass them.
Trump remains the key figure here, and he can put a stop to all of this nonsense if he so chooses, which is what gun owners continue to hope that he will do.