President Donald Trump turns after handing copies of his speech to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., and Vice President Mike Pence as he delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

By Larry Keane

President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address held a key couple sentences that are reminding all Americans he stands squarely with protecting their Second Amendment rights.

“Just as we believe in the First Amendment, we also believe in another Constitutional right that is under siege all across our country,” President Trump said. “So long as I am President, I will always protect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.”

Clear Distinction

With that phrase, President Trump set off a striking contrast. On one side, he’s clearly positioning himself as the guardian of Second Amendment rights. He’s got three years of his administration’s record. He’s appointed to two supreme court justices, both originalists who respect the text of the Second Amendment. In addition to the nation’s high court, President Trump has also appointed 44 Circuit Court judges, and 112 District Court judges, all of whom the White House touts as judges who interpret the Constitution as written.

Juxtaposed against that is the current field of Democratic nominees. They labeled the firearms industry as “the enemy.” The leading candidates propose repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, to expose firearms manufacturers to punishing and superfluous lawsuits that wrongfully assign blame for the criminal actions of individuals. This would be akin to holding General Motors responsible for drunk driving accidents.

They go further, wanting to ban modern sporting rifles, the most popular selling centerfire rifle on the market today. More than 17.7 million of these rifles are in circulation, making the commonly owned firearms one of the leading choices for today’s gun owner for self-defense, recreational target shooting and hunting. Candidates want to ration gun purchases, register and track law-abiding gun owners and even require fantasy spy novel fiction technology to use DNA matches for guns to work.

Tearing It Up

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., tears her copy of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address after he delivered it to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

If those examples weren’t enough, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) demonstrated exactly what her party thinks of the ideals President Trump outlined. At the end of the speech, Speaker Pelosi stood squarely behind President Trump and tore in half the official copy of the speech hand-delivered to her by the President.

Vice President Mike Pence said the symbolism wasn’t lost on him.

“I didn’t know if she was ripping up the speech or the Constitution,” he explained.  The Vice President explained he didn’t see Speaker Pelosi rip the documents but called it “a new low.”

Speaker Pelosi attempted to defend her stunt, telling reporters, “It was the courteous thing to do, considering the alternative.”

The President’s State of the Union address, and the nonsense that followed, showed what’s at stake in the coming year for the firearms industry and the gun owners who purchase firearms and ammunition. There are two strikingly divergent paths forward on guns for America. One path protects and preserves our freedoms and rights. The other would abandon the promise of freedom entrusted by our Founding Fathers and subjugate free Americans to the whims of government bureaucracies that don’t offer real solutions for safer communities.

 

Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

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211 COMMENTS

    • If Trump pulls that off, we have a near-guarantee of at least one seat held by the Leftists falling into conservative hands, and a decent chance at another seat doing the same.

      It’s a guarantee it won’t if he loses…

      • Geoff, this is the only thing I’m comfortable about him doing. RBG goes, and another decent pick gets in. I don’t trust him to uphold the second, considering his outburst with silencers, the bump stock fiasco, and the “take them first” statement. I think deep down he’s still a lefty on guns, but if his legacy for 8 years is 3-4 solid scotus picks, I’m happy.

        • Nancy Pelosi apologized for ripping up President Trumps speech, says she mistook the speech for the U.S. Constitution.

        • Agreed, the hope that a decent SCOTUS would then finally do its job and treat the 2A as it should be treated. After all the SCOTUS has made up new rights while it pretends the 2A does not exist. This hope is why I would vote for Trump.

    • If the PLCAA is repealed, it will be the death blow to what remains of American industry.

      The first case against a firearm manufacturer for the misuse of one of their products will be used as a precedent against automakers, brewers and distillers, and even IT companies.

      • “The first case against a firearm manufacturer for the misuse of one of their products will be used as a precedent against automakers, brewers and distillers, and even IT companies.”

        And that’s why it will never pass constitutional scrutiny.

        One thing I am curious of is, would any of the Leftists on the SCOTUS rule with the conservatives? As mentioned above, it opens the barn door wide to suing auto manufacturers, alcohol companies, etc.

        And what logical argument would they use that suing gun companies is constitutional, but not Jack Daniels and Chevrolet for drunk driving deaths?…

        • Devils advocate. The argument I’ve seen most often is, “drunk driving or pressure cooker bombs are a clear misuse of a product designed for a specific purpose. Killing people with guns IS the purpose of the guns, therefore it’s ok to sue the manufacturer into oblivion for creating a product made to kill people”. – rebut this argument and they will call you a white nationalist so quick 😂

      • Cross, that’s not really true. Nobody expects to ever *win* such a suit, which is what would set off a flood of such lawsuits. The goal is to bankrupt businesses by the simple prosecution of such suits, since they have to defend against them. They will always win, but the cost of the defense will bankrupt them. With a tiny profit margin and a billionaire or two willing to spend the money, all firearms manufacturers would be out of business in a decade. An alternative to the PLCAA would be “loser pays”, which would solve a bunch of other problems as well!

      • Anyone else notice (after reading all the comments down to the end) that this page has a ton of new usernames never seen before, suddenly popping up on this forum and blasting Trump at the same time? It’s as if some troll farm rolled out the keyboard army or something all of a sudden.

        Naw, it’ll be fine.

        • I thought all of us Russian farm trolls (not to be confused with bridge trolls), even the black and Hispanic among us, were alt right white nationalist white supremacist neo nazi gun nutz. I didn’t know the other side had trolls too. The lamestream fake snewz didn’t tell me about them.

        • @Iris

          So you are saying if a Democrat gun grabber became president Republicans would finally do something to stop gun control?

          Sounds like it’s better to do what the founders designed by pitting each branch against each other so nothing gets done to harm the people. Clearly when you put Republicans in charge of all the branches they refuse to help the people and only call for action when Democrats retake control.

          Look what happened to Virginia. Now that state is gone.

        • The republicans have stopped or reversed every single democrat assault on the 2A in the last 20 years.

        • @Iris — [“The republicans have stopped or reversed every single democrat assault on the 2A in the last 20 years.”] BULLLLSHIIT!!! How about the bumpstock legislation? How about all of the anti-2nd amendment laws coming from many of the states? It is the federal government’s job to prevent the states from violating the Constitution, yet states like NJ, NY, IL, CA, VA …. continue to create unconstitutional law!

    • “Liar. Lost my vote.”

      Then we will hold you personally responsible for the loss, as a fair weather only conservative…

      • Yeah he’s been real “fair weather.” “Take the guns then do due process.” Making tens of thousands of bump stock owners into felons through executive fiat and opening the door for a liberal ATF head later to ban all lightened triggers as “rate enhancing devices.”

        I’d honestly rather have a liberal back, at least it makes the Neocon stooges in the House and Senate actually pretend to have a spine and block this bullshit.

        • ” I’d honestly rather have a liberal back, at least it makes the Neocon stooges in the House and Senate actually pretend to have a spine and block this bullshit. ”

          OK, that’s got to be the most politically stupid statement I’ve heard in at least a decade. Maybe more.

        • Yeah some of you “I’d rather have a liberal” types around here, y’all so ready to cut off your nose despite your face.

        • Keep standing on your principles. See what that gets you. We are far beyond principled political disagreement

    • “Liar. Lost my Vote”

      Great. You’re just adding on to the Bloomberg/Soros/Steyer gun ban agenda, and probably doing it for free, although you might very well be getting paid to post here… Big difference between principles and politics. The ‘Holier Than Thou” purists have never learned how to play politics and still haven’t figured out that one must in this world. Or, you can just go out, grab your Moisin Nagant or custon SKS and take to the streets- You show ’em! Doubt that’ll happen, but a lot of similar posters would certainly egg others on so they could criticize the outcome of such unorganized or necessary insanity.

      • Congratulations on being a Republican automaton. The party counts on people like you to vote for it no matter what. Because of people like you, the Republicans know that they never have to make good on their campaign promises, never have to repeal unconstitutional laws, and never have to do anything more than give lip service to the idea of liberty. It’s enough for them to not be Democrats.

        America is doomed. Liberty is dead. And we have you and your ilk to thank for it.

        As for me, I will never compromise. I will always vote for the liberty candidate. And if that gives the Democrats more wins, then I blame you for being a lesser-of-two-evils voter, and I say bring on the boog. The gun rally in Virginia is an example of what could happen if Dems keep winning: 22k gun owners whose only fault was that they stood around instead of arresting the traitors.

        • “I say bring on the boog”

          As someone who lived through a brutal and bloody civil war/”internal unrest” in my country of origin, it is my experience that 100% of the people who were loudly cheer-leading for it to start in the lead up to the actual fighting were the cowards who hid in the basement and wanted nothing to do with what they started. Meanwhile the rest of us were the ones who had to kill our neighbors to protect our wives and children from the insanity they started. War is terrible and disgusting. More so when you’re fighting against yourself. Anyone who roots for something like that, by giving it a cute joking fun name, is a terrible person or terribly ignorant

    • He never had your vote, you liberal Soros sponsored troll. Your bromance with the previous President (the greatest gun salesman of all time) still sends that tingle down your leg, and clouds your thinking.

  4. Trump’s heroism in ‘Nam, coupled with the fact he’s a morally upstanding self made man, make him worthy of our collective awe deference and respect!

    • Hey, nobody wants to marry the guy, or even live next door to him for that matter. We just want him to hold the line and put someone intelligent in RBG’s chair. See if you can get that from any of the Dems.

      • If Trump’s platform was simply to veto every bill which made it to his desk, and continue nominating young, conservative judges, he would have my vote.

      • You mean that’s what they’re doing, not him. And judges are in no way a good bet against the next administration.

        He’s holds the most powerful position in the world; for two years he and his party held all three branches of government. What did we see? A bump-stock ban. I didn’t care about it much as a practical matter but it’s hard not to recognize that there was more gun control during Trump’s first term than Obama’s two. The difference is in rhetoric.

        I think the best thing about Trump is that he turned the democratic party so unhinged that it has lost any semblance of strategy and can’t get anything done.

        • Must be nice to have a life where the only thing of concern is bump stocks. Not a care in the world about the economy, trade, rule of law, the border, healthcare, or foreign policy. Nope none of those things matter because bumpstocks.

          Have you ever stopped to consider there’s a hell of a lot more at stake?

        • Well, thats true, the repubs did hold the house and senate for the first 2 years, BUT, he got no, zero, zilch support for anything from them. They assumed he would be pushed out and they didnt want any part of anything. So, I blame the “conservatives” we thought would back him. I do give him credit for sll those conservative fed judges he appointed. Hope that continues.

        • Naww. Trump gave the Democrats the opportunity to more further left and drag along the Republicans for the ride. America is much further left in 2020 than in 2000 and is moving faster in that direction than 2008.

          The best thing Trump did was get the media to show themselves as the propagandists they are. Finally the boomers and X’ers understand the news is “fake.” It took decades to get to this point. Unfortunately, these generations then jumped on the “Q” nonsense as an alternative to the mainstream sources.

          It is true under Obama gun rights were better off than under Trump.

          Under Trump the FixNICS passed, bump fire stocks banned through illegal means, the Reformation was stopped, the FosTecH reclassified, federal gun control task forces were setup, Trump’s school safety task force sent the states recommendations for gun control laws (red flag laws being one), NRA collapsed, etc.

        • @Burt

          Go vote for Trump if you love gun control so much.

          By the time you get your boy in for another 4 years there will be about 20 states with gun confiscation powers for the cops. Under his second term they will up the confiscations using facial recognition software to find loud mouth LARPers.

          They won’t need to have mass confiscation when they are kicking in one door at a time of the most dangerous people. The other gun owners will have boating accidents until their state passes a law that says you need to report your lost gun within 24 hours.

        • I agree with u on the bump stocks. I do love seeing the Dems in their current state me and the old lady were losing it watching them during the sotu lol. I like to think that Trump was waiting for his 2nd term to do more for us but who knows it’s just what I hope for.

        • Bump Stocks are the “poor man’s” machine gun. And the gun community doesn’t care about the poor having access to firearms and training /education. They gave up on PUBLIC education a very long time ago. They just want access to PUBLIC land for hunting, fishing, and recreation.

    • “He needs To do something to prove it.”

      You will see the proof in 5 month’s time, with the June ‘NY Pistol’ SCOTUS decision…

  6. As many are already saying, actions speak louder than words. So far his actions haven’t shown to be 100% pro 2A.
    I would be much happier if we could have had the Hearing Protection Act in 2017.

    • “I would be much happier if we could have had the Hearing Protection Act in 2017.”

      We didn’t have the necessary 60 seats in the senate to do that.

      What we ought to be most grateful for is that Obama spent every dollar of the political capital he had on ‘health care’. Had he chosen to attack guns instead, we would be looking at an assault weapons ban on steroids and nearly every other wish the Leftists had for ‘gun control’.

      His going for health care first crippled him for the rest of his presidency. All he could do after Newtown was stand there and cry on camera instead of ramming a gun ban down out throats…

      • You want 60 votes, go back to 2009. The Republican party could have at least tried to make it happen, maybe 2022?

        • Oh, yeah, Osama was certain to sign THAT! I think you’d need around 67 votes. And then there’s the House!

  7. It boils down to one of two things….
    1. You’re either an American with American values & support Trump
    2. You hate America & what it stands for & vote democ-rat!

    • Well said. Trump is not perfect, but he is by far the best choice. Thank God we got him instead of Hillary.

    • Ridiculous. It’s completely reasonable to applaud Trump when he does the things we think are good and chastise him when he does the thing we think are bad.
      Blind loyalty and unconditional support of any politician is never a good thing.

      • Logic detected…

        Virtue signaling not found…

        Hrmm… you may need a reboot to properly interface with deez webz.

      • If you comprehend English which I’m sure you do, its not blind support. Its either support Trump or the democrats that’s your only choice. So far in my 61 yrs he’s been the best President to support the American people there has been! No other POTUS has ever been degraded by the media & hollywood as Trump, I’m glad to see him stand up & say to them what they are saying about him.
        So what I’m sayin….if you don’t support him then you don’t support America. There is no other choice unless your just a puppet that need the Govt to take care of you.

        • I do understand English, but I don’t agree with you. Support is by no means binary. You do not have to support Trump to support America. In fact, sometimes you need to actively work against some of the things he’s proposed in order to support America.
          You’ve provided an all or nothing alternative. That’s not reality.

          • Your liberal side is leaking out, because if you’re not supporting Trump than your supporting one of the socialist liberal left. Then for all purposes you don’t deserve to own guns because your other choices want to confiscate them all.
            This is why the left is winning, they can group up like pack rats & work together. The Right seem too stupid to work together for a common interest. So you go ahead & vote for your Bernie or Warren & see what that gets you.

  8. If ttag is going full Trump I’m out. Never thought I’d see the day the Republicans stood by a NY Democrat who uses executive orders to pass more gun control than Obama ever did.

      • From ATF website: “On February 20, 2018, President Trump issued a memorandum instructing the Attorney General “to dedicate all available resources to… propose for notice and comment a rule banning all devices that turn legal weapons into machineguns.”

        • So what you are saying is you are pissed at him over the bump stock ban? That’s it? Hasn’t a court thrown that out anyway?

        • You asked. I just posted the information. I don’t like the bump stocks(I think full auto is more accurate) but I don’t think they needed to be banned.

          To the best of my knowledge the courts have refused the case.

        • Stephen Craig,

          No, they haven’t. And even if they eventually do, it was an illegal, anti-American act that had direct harm to the company (which went out of business) as well as those prosecuted for owning them and those that had their property taken or destroyed.

          I like a whole lot about what Trump has done. I did not vote for him last time, but based largely on what he’s done for the economy and on foreign policy, I am likely to vote for him this time.

          But not because of guns. The bump stock ban was an attack on our freedoms, and I’m not likely to forget it.

          Not to mention “I like taking guns away early. Take the guns first, go through due process second.” -DJT

          As it stands, President Trump is the most successful gun-grabber in decades. That’s reality. To pretend otherwise is a tactical error, and we should demand more of him.

          As my mom used to say “it takes a whole lot of “atta’ boys” to make up for one “oh shit!”.

        • I’ve heard it the other way around, all the attaboys in the world get erased with one “oh shit”.

          I agree, Trump is not perfect, and I hate the fact that he passed the bump stock ban, but based on who the Democrats are throwing at us, he’s the best turd in the toilet bowl.

          Wish they would pass the HPA though.

        • jwtaylor,

          That statement needs placed into context, Trump said that about people who suspected to be violent, mentally unstable, or about to do harm to others.
          It wasn’t a statement to just grab and ban, it was to evaluate a situation under due process and if found null restore all property and rights to the individual.
          Think of it this way, if I have a mental breakdown and lose my shit and my family is afraid I’m gonna do something stupid, I’m ok with them spacing me from my weapons until I get a little counseling, I can always find more guns, nobody is going to bring back you dead family.
          So badmouth that statement all you want, but realize why it was said first.

        • Bob, Please go back and watch the entire video where the president is speaking on the subject of red flag laws.
          You will find that there is no deep context there, and he is speaking of people who have not been adjudicated as a threat in any way.
          These are people who are simply accused of possibly being a threat, with no due process.
          People should not have the free exercise of their rights removed solely on suspicion.

        • jwtaylor,

          I did and many have reviewed it and taken into account what they were talking about at the time, it was a conversation in which he was replying to Pence that he felt in the case of people who were suspected of being extremely dangerous to take weapons first, then weed out whats going on. This is in no way the same thing as giving a free pass for any law enforcement to just take firearms away from everyone at any time, that would be placing words in his mouth. Its also speculative to assume that it would lead to this.
          But just because you assume it may lead to a gun confiscature does not automatically mean that is what Trump meant or wanted.
          He was simply referring to the fact that in the case with Cruze the law enforcement had known for a long time that he was a high risk but that “something had to happen first before they could do anything about it”, the problem as Trump had said is that by the time “something happens” its too late to prevent it.

          I’m as afraid of confiscation without process as anyone but let me tell you. They aren’t wrong. The system takes too long, we either have to live with the tragedies or try to prevent a few.

          A good friend of mine had a mental meltdown a while back, we visited his house to see how he was doing, he stripped the house bare and had all his firearms staged through the house and was a filthy mess, he looked like he was about to unload on anyone at any time. Afraid he might hurt himself or his wife and kid we called the state police to check on him, they did, they’re response to us was that until he actually hurts someone, he has full rights, even to be totally crazy and look like hes about to go on a shooting spree since staging for a shooting without actually saying or documenting that you are going to do it isn’t a crime.
          Thankfully we got him help, but what Trump meant was, in this case, they could come to him, lock away any weapons, get him due process through the system and some help.
          In no way did he mean that anyone that gets a speeding ticket should lose their firearms rights.
          Don’t make a situation worse or more than it is and then take all the made up stories added and say because of the conclusion you came to that Trump is anti 2A
          That is wrong and you know it. He may need educated on a few things, hell even directed in a good ave, but just because something wasn’t perfectly clear doesn’t shit show the whole thing.

        • Bob, I’m afraid I have a fundamental disagreement with you on the free exercise of human rights. I’m also afraid that I might have that same disagreement with our president.

        • jwtaylor,

          I don’t like the way any of that could play out either.
          However, I am old enough to know just because someone does something I don’t agree with or isn’t quite aligned with what I think doesn’t mean they will forever think that way. Really anything could happen.
          But given our choices, I believe he was and is the best we had and I am certainly no one to turn a blind eye to other work that has been done, even just him being himself has given us a good look at our representatives.
          The polls are claiming a rise in Republicans and conservatives, sanctuary counties and cities are on the rise. Something somewhere has stirred the pot and it needed it.

      • The problem is if stocks can easily turn your AR-15 into a machine gun then your AR-15 is a machine gun. At least according to Trump and the ATF. This is a very dangerous precedent and with the right political storm and judges easily could turn into a ban on all semi automatic firearms as they can be easily converted to machine guns.

        Also turning over 500,000 of your supporters into felons overnight is a very bold move. He won by maybe 200,000 votes last election? I guarantee you no one will vote for him because he banned bump stocks, it did not make him any friends on either side of the political spectrum.

  10. Say what you will about the POTUS, he was better than the alternative, and certainly better than any running in the clown show on the other side.

  12. Who are we kidding? He cares nothing about the 2nd amendment, he only cares about keeping our votes. Sure he’s better for our team than the Dems but don’t think for a Moment that he has our backs.

      • I remember when the supreme judges said it was okay to infringe for public and government safety.

        • Well why don’t you just snap your fucking fingers magic man, and solve all our problems in one fell swoop! Facts stated in illogical contexts and while COMPLETELY ignoring reality, makes you so tedious. Your staggering lack of nuance and ability to see the world for what it is is akin to a child. Frankly, you and your ilk should simply be dismissed out of hand. Jesus it’s like chewing concrete.

      • Agreed, but there is no second guessing the fealty in here. Trump loves loyalty, but it’s a one way street with that dude. You’d think people would at least pretend to be holding a few decent cards every now and then instead of just calling all the time.

  13. Golly the NRA went on a quest proclaiming Willard er “Mittens” Romney as a champion for gun right’s. Talk is cheap. Do better Donnie. I’ll still vote for you but you take gun owner’s for granted. Christian’s too. I’m OK with a President Pence!

  14. Okay, the Human Paper Shredder tore up her copy of the speech. If that is an official government document it is a violation of U.S. Code punishable by fine, up to three years imprisonment, removal from office and being barred from ever holding public office again. Also, if my understanding is correct it would be investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office through the F.B.I. There were a few witnesses. Congress, the gallery and, oh yeah, the Supreme Court Justices of the United States of America. And everyone else on the planet by now. If there are any legal scholars out there could you clarify?

    • It turns out Nancy really hates those Tuskegee airmen, and she finds 21 week old babies downright terrifying.

    • Are you suggesting that the Speaker of the House should be impeached? I would certainly expect no sympathy or leniency from D.C. if I were the one to blatantly and willfully destroy federal property.
      Simply floating the accusation may just turn Schiff into an accessory.

  15. lol

    could someone tell me what he’s done for the pro-gun side so far?

    I support trump, i really do, but on guns he’s just another republican politician that says what we want to hear and then ignore us.

    Where we gonna go? The democrats??

    • Repeat of what I posted up near the top of this page:

      ****
      Anyone else notice (after reading all the comments here) that this page has a ton of new usernames never seen before, suddenly popping up on this forum and blasting Trump at the same time? It’s as if some troll farm rolled out the keyboard army or something all of a sudden.

      • I will let you in on a secret: Democrats want Trump elected.

        They rigged up Hillary so Trump could get in. They pretended like Russia hacked the election so Trump wouldn’t actually do what he promised because he was too distracted by something obviously fake. Years later the Democrats pushed for an impeachment, knowing it wouldn’t work, so they could give Trump the extra push he needs before the election. They even ruined their own caucus when the results would go against their plans. Then you have people like Nancy manipulating the feelings of Republicans to get them impassioned to shut her up by voting Trump in again.

        It’s all obvious BS to trick you into thinking the Democrats hate Trump. Democrats loved Trump until he became president. Strange, huh? It’s not like Trump is completely different than a few years ago. Odd how the corporate media gave him so much free air time and all the sellout social media puppets praise Trump on everything he does. Not surprising Trump would invite those social media influencers to hang out at the White House.

        Why do they want Trump? Because under Trump they get what they want while not taking any negative hits in the process. When Trump is gone the Democrats will be even stronger and the Republican party will be almost dead.

        Look at the NRA to see exactly how they killed that. Funny how they only like to talk about the NRA although there are other organizations out there that can rally thousands more than the NRA can. Yet the NRA is the big bad gun lobby that doesn’t want any gun control laws.

        Don’t forget most psychologists are from the left.

  16. The Democrats are all either straight up gun haters , they’re the guns for me and my guards , not for us common folk, they’re the rich Bloomberg’s that want to buy our Rights , and have the cash to do it. Or the Bernies gangsters that want anyone that doesn’t match to their communist beliefs shot & put in gulags . Can Bernie even wipe his own ass ? At least with Donald Trump we are not voting for the enemy. he is working on SCOTUS , RBG is in poor health , another conservative justice will be seated under the Trump administration. so there really is no choice , the delusional dems want all our guns , or vote Trump and I think we keep our Right to bear arms. There’s no middle ground with moms Hogs Mikey .look at VA who would have thought the old dominion would be Governed by a baby killing , drug using , racist Northam. Disease spreads.

    • A lot of people predicted Virginia’s downfall. It’s not a surprise to anyone paying attention to places like California. It didn’t start in Virginia. The apathetic Republicans finally realized the blue wave is a thing and it’s only the beginning.

      Boomers and Xers are trying to stall until they die off. They don’t want to fight for their rights. They learned that thousands of older men standing around with their rifles isn’t enough to scare a soy boy nor a quota cop. Trump is not going to save you nor is the government courts. Trump is now a politician doing what he needs to for him to get reelected so he can accomplish what his buddies paid him to do.

      You are going to be very disappointed after 8 years of Trump just like Democrats were disappointed with 8 years of Obama.

      • What’s your game plan, then? You love to rag on folks for what they’ve done wrong. What have you done right? Let’s hear how you will unfuck this country, oh wise one.

  17. What the fuck is wrong with you Trump-bashing assholes? Have you gone brain-dead?

    Look, nobody likes Trump, not even his supporters. He’s rude, crude, self-serving and corrupt. But here’s the reality — he’s going to be the Republican candidate for POTUS. Anybody want to argue that point? OK.

    On the other side is the greatest existential threat that 2A has ever faced — the entirety of the Democratic Party. Come November, those are your choices. No third parties. No write-ins. No staying home. It’s a totally binary choice – Trump wins, you will likely keep and gain back your 2A rights. Democrat wins, you kiss the 2A goodbye. It’s that simple.

    You can whine about bump stocks all you want. It doesn’t matter now. It’s done. You can get the same effect with a rubber eraser and a couple pieces of wire anyway. Comparisons with Obama? Old news and completely irrelevant, not even worth a mention. All that shit is in the past, and nobody can un-ring the bell. Let it die.

    So, piss and moan about Trump all you want to. Maybe it will impress your friends next time you’re hanging out at Starbucks and reading your New York Times. But your choice is about as clear as it’s ever been. Vote Republican and maybe get to keep your guns, OR vote Democratic and surely lose your guns and a whole lot more.

    • Dem fax. But fuck man, muh feelz! Lol.

      Also, Maybe it will impress your friends next time you’re hanging out at Starbucks and reading your New York Times” was harsh but actually fair. I snickered.

    • I’ll stay home thank you very much … but only because we have Mail-In Ballots 😉

      Will not vote for that retched pile of excrement now stinking up the Oval Office. No way in hell. Just like the last time, I’ll pick some hopeless but real conservative write-in, who will lose, but at lease I’ll only need my usual shower in the morning before going to work.

      And Trump will win, because the Democrats are about as disorganized and dysfunctional a party as there as ever been at this point in a Presidential Silly Season.

      • Good thing most Americans don’t think like you do. I’m sure you pat yourself on the back and think you’re real smart.

      • enuf: That’s known as wanting your cake and eating it too -or- cutting off your nose to spite your face. Yeah, Trump will still get reelected, but your hands will still be clean. Horse shit!

    • I’ll try this again, but my comments keep not saving.

      This is not a binary choice. There are several choices. Yes, who to vote for in the Presidential election is a binary choice, and the only logical choice is to re-elect President Trump.
      But that’s not the ONLY choice.
      Trump, unlike other politicians (Romney) hs shown that he actually listens to his base and is willing to change his policy positions based on feedback from the base. That’s a very good thing. But it’s a missed opportunity if we don’t provide that feedback. Choose to provide that feedback. It doesn’t all have to be positive.
      Also, he’s not the only Republican running for office and some of the down-ballot candidates have primary opponents. By voicing our displeasure with some of Trump’s decisions, we can further push them to support the free exercise of second amendment rights. In turn, that will put pressure on, and cover for, Trump to do the same in the future.
      Voting for President isn’t the only game we are playing.

      • But it’s a missed opportunity if we don’t provide that feedback.

        Exactly.

        He’s suceptible to praise, so give him that. Particularly “You’re better than that guy.” As long as The Screaming ‘s harp on Gun Confiscation, The Orange Crush will to the opposite to make himself look better than them.

    • Wait… Isn’t Trump a New York Democrat registered Republican for his presidential aspirations? Isn’t he a billionaire that helped pass gun control and advocates for more? Didn’t he become a “reality” TV personality/actor to try to save his failing businesses?

      He’s an east coast Reagan. That’s not a good thing.

      Boomers don’t understand they are slowly giving away the country and raising a bunch of lefties in the process. Look how the NRA helped pass gun control and got rich doing it. Notice how the NRA is dead to the younger generations? Now the Xers and boomers are giving away the country one fake ass conservative at a time.

      You really think you can buy the Republicans like Trump and Bloomberg can? They will do what they are paid to like they did in Florida.

      You will be too damn old to deal with the consequences of your slow erosion of America for your current comfort level. You are moving America left every time you settle with a Democrat in Republican clothing. And you wonder why the youth have no “American” principles and are heavily socialists?

      You know you really screwed up the country when the average youth want Bernie or Yang and the national socialists want Trump. When former Obama Democrats find more in common with the current Republican party than they do with the current Democrats.

      • You’re showing youth and naivete by not recognizing that over half of “boomers” are now retired. They’re not raising leftists or anyone else. All that is over and done. Even the youngest of GenX now have teenagers.
        But you… You’re one of those millenials. Aren’t ‘cha? Born in the mid – late 90’s to a helicopter mom. That would explain alot.

      • And one day in the not so distant future the younger generation will be ragging on you because you and the other old guys like you fucked up the country. Happens to every generation.

    • absent any federal movement on gun control…the states have been free to run wild..and they have…realistically,only the courts can reign them in…let’s hope they do…

    • 1. Quit yelling, you sound like a child.
      2. Yes, it was illegal. We all knew it was illegal, but President Trump did it anyway.
      3. You missed literally half of the atf’s argument.
      4. It is still the law of the land. If you would like to test that, go buy one.

    • You are surprised that Trump banned Bump Stocks? Why? I mean why are you so shocked? Trump has never been a gun guy. Hell, he was a left wing liberal for a long time before he figured out how to pull the biggest hoax ever and get people to vote a con artist and dictator lover into the White House.

      Of course Trump banned bump stocks. He doesn’t understand guns, he doesn’t much care about them either. He got $30 million from the NRA to run for President, but after that his act has developed some serious holes in it.

      Thus the State of the Union gag lines about protecting the Second Amendment. Polish up the bullshit … that’s our Trumpy Boy!!!

      Note: Luckily, the Federalist Society has long had an inside track to nudging Trump with nominees for Federal judges. That’s the only useful thing to come out of this godawful disaster.

      • Yeah, the country is really a disaster right now. You don’t even have to explain your reasons for each but I dare you to list ALL the policies of this White House that are just ruining us. Jesus that TDS is real.

      • Trump was “anti” bump stock because that’s what he heard. He’s not designing a society based on his deep theories of how the world works, or should. His SOTU 2A comment carries that same conviction.

        Really, his choices are predictable and obvious: he parses every situation in terms of “How about we get what we think we want.”, “Get out of people’s way.”, “I like being told I’m right.”, and “I especially like being told I’m righter than those other folks.” (Out of which peole’s way? The people who voted for him, or might.)

        Let him hear a 2A position people want, what people want that’s being impeded, and he’ll be all over 2A-positive stuff. Incrementally, “The Art of the Possible.”

        Pragmatically, the worst thing the Screaming-D’s could have done for their anti-people initiative was *provoke*, a >90% local govt rejection of their grand schemes, and a >22,000 rally on the issue. You think The Rallyier In Chiev didn’t notice the big rally without celebs? You think he didn’t notice 90-some counties and towns, n figure: “I do something 2A-ish that touches VA, every one of those will tell the world how awesome I am.”

        As for that event, the optics keep getting worse for the anti-people.

        — Nobody died.

        — Fences. The campaign ads write themselves. (“PDJT is looking to keep drug traffickers, gang-bangers, and repeat murders out of the US: let’s make room for people who want to come here and pitch in. Gov Blackface decided to fence Virginians out of their own capitol, on their own lobbying day. Who’s for what, here? Who’s on your side?”)

        — Now parts of The Great VA Confiscation Grab are stalling in committee, n etc. Every initative that fails, they look weaker. They’ve painted themselves into a corner.

    • Please stop. No one supports repealing the Machine Gun ban. Including Libertarians Gary Johnson and William Weld.

      • Huh? Nobody you say? I absolutely support repealing the National Firearms Act of 1934 and all subsequent legislation adding to that massive stupidity.

        • Give me the name of an L, R, or D who has publicly stated they would repeal the NFA. How many of them even know what it stands for?

          The D wants “free stuff”
          The L wants legal marijuana intoxication. And some of them even want it “free” from the government.
          The R at least talks about protecting the 2A. But many are weak on it.

        • enuf Hey boy, we’re talking to you. I’m going to stalk your ass every time you post here and you’re going to explain yourself. I’m so fucking sick of you throwing nonsense and never defending your garbage. You’ve been warned, come get some. You coward, you fucking LIAR.

      • There has never been a machine gun ban to repeal, and I absolutely *DO* support and advocate the repeal of the taxes imposed by NFA 1934, and the resultant disbanding of BATFE, sooner the better.

  19. This comment section has at least 300% of your daily recommended value of sodium.

    That’s alright though. Just got done lifting so I can use the electrolytes.

    • Eh poor ole sodium gets a bad rap. Last time I had blood work, that was the only thing outside the normal range, and it was low. You gotta keep those muscles fed. I remember when they said cereal was a healthier breakfast than eggs.

      • If you let your potassium get low that’s worse both from a health standpoint and from the treatment standpoint.

        You will not enjoy a potassium IV. Trust me.

        • Potassium IVs feel like a giant is trying to tear your arms and legs off while an elephant sits on your chest.

          One of the single least pleasant experiences I’ve had.

        • Geoff,

          Potassium is involved with nerve signaling. It needs to be carefully delivered. We try to do it slowly, but sometimes it needs to be delivered more quickly, and some bodies are just more sensitive. Sometimes it makes people feel like all of their nerves are firing, which often feels like burning or tearing. Sometimes muscles twitch and contract, including the intercostal muscles, and sometimes it makes nerves not fire at all. Even better, for some patients, all of that can happen at different places in the body or at different times. This is…unpleasant. And sometimes it stops their heart. So there’s that.

          What’s the first rule of Advanced Cardiac Life Support? All cardiac dysrhythmias eventually resolve.

    • Can you pay leftist posters in salt? I know it’s not worth what it used to be but through the sheer quantity this administration produces it should fit the salary of a moderate online army.

  20. “I didn’t know if she was ripping up the speech or the Constitution,” and to quote Mitt Romney,”The Constitution is at the foundation of our Republic’s success, and we each strive not to lose sight of our promise to defend it.” It seems that it has become very fashionable to rip up the constitution and to lose sight of their promise to defend it.
    Hold them up to their oaths. Otherwise it is treason, and that is a greater offense than what POTUS was accused of.

  21. Bader Ginsburg is about to kick that bucket. Let’s hope Trump gets in again, although he’s not really the 2A supporter he claims to be the appointment of one or two justices would be amazing…

    • I bet the skids will be so well greased that if RGB shuffles off the mortal coil when Trump has 10 days left in office (maybe less!) he’ll have a replacement justice confirmed before he leaves office. Probably nominated before her passing is noted on the evening news.

    • if that ever gets reversed or amended the people that turned them in or destroyed them are going to feel awfully foolish……

    • Yup he illegally enacts legislation and takes bumpstocks and the fanboys shrug. He states silencers are next and they applaud.
      I’m not saying vote for the other side but I’m not voting for him I’m voting against communism and socialism.
      He does not represent my interests.

  23. When the child abuse conspiracy of the New England Catholic church became widely recognized as fact, Catholics everywhere excused it. They continued to support the church knowing their organization was systematically corrupt.

    I will not support Trump again, rationalize your support as you must, but count me out.

  24. Trump is saying he’s commited to protecting the 2nd Amendment in the same way Sun Tzu said to tell your enemy the opposite of what you are doing.

    Everyone is pointing out the bump stock ban, but look at the Red Flag Laws he encouraged on a state level. Isn’t it amazing he said, “Take the guns first, due process second” right as the Democrats AND RINOs started pushing these abominations through? They’re being pushed in Arizona of all places! Every state is going to have them very soon.

    You will not get your guns back, as is sold to you by the people who only lie. Your guns will be destroyed after you face an unpayable $30,000+ bill in storage and lawyer fees if you try and fight the court.

    So next why not take your children, then your house, and your bank account based only on one accusation? You are too dangerous to possess guns so you certainly can’t be around your own children, or wife, and if you still have access to money or property to sell you could go and buy another gun! Effectively one accusation will either put you in prison or on the street if this BS is allowed to continue. There will be thousands of shills combing social media and people will get paid to make up accusations against identified political enemies. This train has already been put in motion through Red Flag Laws!

    Red Flag Laws
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF-HOeZSnKw

    As others have said this is because America has allowed abortion to go on at an industrial scale since the 60’s. Turn back to Jesus before it’s too late.

  25. Trump on Red Flag Laws, which he supports. It is important to ignore this and continue pretending that Trump loves the Second Amendment, the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments too. Trump is a paragon of defending Due Process of law … eventually. Sometime after the government sends in the SWAT team to shoot your dog, terrorize your kids, zip-tie your wife in her underwear and steal your guns, sometime later, Trump says okay to do Due Process. After the dog is burried.

    I mean, he said so, a lot.

    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=trump+take+the+guns+first+due+process+second

    Here’s one such recording:
    00:41 “Take the firearms first and then go to court”
    00:54 “I like taking the guns early”
    01:06 “Take the guns first go thru due process second”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxgybgEKHHI

    • This was an offhand, emotional tough talk comment after a tragedy. Nothing has come from it, and nothing will.

        • Aren’t they all blue states except Florida, which is a swing state? So you’re saying, without Trump’s comment, they wouldn’t have passed that in Florida after the hyped up school shooting there?

        • Indiana also voted with Trump. It’s not possible to say if Florida would still have passed it’s Red Flag law without Trump’s support. But we have actual history that they did pass it, with top cover from the president.
          But you seem to assume that because a state mostly votes Democrat, that they don’t have Republican lawmakers required to get a vote passed into law. Many, if not most, do. Those lawmakers got a green light from the president.

        • My take is he was never serious about this because as soon as the impeachment investigation started, he said all gun control was off the table. Why would he take something off the table that he wants? I’m not that familiar with most state political dynamics outside of my own state. You may be right that they used his words as cover which would mean they are all cowards. I know in my state if they did that, heads would roll come election time, no matter what Trump said.

          I looked up Indiana, and their red flag law was basically passed unanimously.

        • Dude,
          I don’t think the President is anti-gun. I think he’s philosophically defunct on the subject, and his history has shown that his support of the 2nd Amendment can wax and wain.
          The fact that he’s not dug in is an opportunity for both sides.

  26. Firearm sales are going through the roof. LTC numbers are increasing. These things mean things.

    If you want to blame Trump or hold him on a pedestal, that’s up to you. I understand both points of view. I just can’t get past the idea that more and more people are arming themselves. There is not a democrat out there that can pull together HALF the crowd sizes.

    I never voted for Trump under the misguided idea that he is conservative. He’s not. Trump does not need to be conservative. Any vote not going to Trump is a negative move toward insanity and absolute disarmament. With or without the bumpstock issue.

    • AHHHRRGGGG, that image is going to replace the whale in me nightmares, Capt Ahab was heard to have said after reading the thonged Nancy post.

  30. The real reason all the Democrats (and the Never Trumpers and no small number of Republicans and others in Washington) detest Trump is because he pulled back the curtain on their game. Here’s a guy with zero political experience who comes into Washington and in three years gets more done than most of these career politicians get done in 30. The first two years he was learning the game, he had very little help from the conservative base (until they realized it was best for their own careers to support him), and yet he still got stuff done. These career politicians and government lifers, like the ones who testified against him in Impeachment hoax, care about nothing other than keeping their gig. IT’s all a sham and everyone’s in on the game, they have no interest in doing what they say they’ll do, if they fixed all the problems they’d have nothing to run on. Trump came at it from a practical perspective and worked his way through the mire and the swamp. HE’ll get more done. BTW, Jr. is a gun guy and Trump listens to Jr. With Ivanka, Jr., even Kushner, we could conceivably have decades of this. Regular people don’t like this crazy left-wing crap.

  32. As mentioned several times in this comments section, WELCOME TO ALL THE NEW/FIRST TIME POSTERS ON TTAG.
    There must be over 2 dozen here. Remember the TTAG mantra, come for the debates, stay for the friendships.

  33. Watching Speaker Pelossi rip up President Trump’s speech reminds me of when she was Miss Lube Rack 1958. I still have my copy of the calendar. Nutty Nancy still has a formidable rack although it is about a foot lower than it was over half a century ago. Unfortunately; the only thing nice that I can say about Speaker Pelossi is that she has an impressive rack.

  34. need to rescind the NFA , bump stock bullshit, any and ALL firearms restriction, including ages above 18, ammo types,weapon types. and the Constitution is the CCW and open carry for ALL U.S. citizens natural or naturalized, including all 12 territories. If you are not a convicted felon of a violent crime.

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