A state gun-rights group is warning that the on-again, off-again support of the Second Amendment by the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) could have effects that endanger Republican candidates in this November’s critical mid-term elections.
A story under the byline Texas Gun Rights (TGR) and posted at shootingnewsweekly.com emphasized that a number of 2A-related missteps by some administration officials are concerning this close to such an important election.
“The Trump administration has moved aggressively to enforce immigration law, crack down on sanctuary policies, and restore order at the border,” the report stated. “But as that fight plays out, another issue is emerging that Republicans can’t afford to mishandle: a growing pattern of unforced errors on the Second Amendment from high-profile officials.”
One example cited in the story was the recent warning by Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, that even law-abiding citizens shouldn’t bring a gun into Washington, D.C., or she would have them put in jail.
Gun owners throughout the nation took exception to the remarks. And for those who see the administration somewhat on the fence concerning the right to bear arms, such statements can push them further away from the president and, consequently, the GOP.
“The problem isn’t that violent criminals should be prosecuted,” the Texas Gun Rights report stated. “They should. The problem is the way Pirro’s remarks were understood by gun owners across the country: as a threat aimed at lawful Americans who exercise their right to keep and bear arms. That’s a dangerous message for any federal official to send.”
Lest you think that was the only recent example of bad talking points from federal government officials, the TGR report listed several more high-profile gaffes.
“Pirro’s remarks didn’t occur in a vacuum,” the report stated. “Over the past several weeks, gun owners have watched a troubling pattern develop in which high-profile officials—from Kristi Noem to Kash Patel, and now Pirro—have flirted with rhetoric that undermines the very principles Republicans claim to defend.
“Different offices, different headlines, same underlying danger: government officials deciding when citizens ‘deserve’ to exercise constitutional rights.”
Ultimately, TGR believes that statements that run counter to complete support for the Second Amendment stand the chance of hurting Republicans as they try to retain both a Senate and House majority in this November’s election.
“Republicans can’t treat this as a minor messaging issue,” the report concluded. “Gun owners decide elections. And when gun owners stay home, gun ban politicians win. The lesson is straightforward: complacency loses elections. And when Republican officials make unnecessary anti-gun statements, they risk demoralizing the very voters they need most.”