President Trump signed his first pro-gun related Executive Order yesterday, directing newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi to examine within 30 days all “orders, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements, and other actions of executive departments and agencies” to determine any “ongoing infringements” of the Second Amendment, and present a plan to him on how to protect gun rights.

That order includes actions taken by agencies during Biden’s tenure that “purport to promote safety, but may have impinged on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.” It also focused on changing how firearms and ammunition are classified, any positions taken by the US in ongoing or potential court cases on the issue, efforts to step up regulatory enforcement of gun laws and the processing of applications to make, manufacture, transfer or export firearms.

Jeremy Stein, Executive Director of States United to Prevent Gun Violence stated, “Guns are the number one cause of death of children in America. It is clear that Trump’s oath to protect the American people from all enemies foreign and domestic, is less important to him than his vow to protect the NRA.”

Trump’s action was applauded by the NRA that stated “Promises made to law-abiding gun owners are being kept by President Donald J. Trump,”  in an effort to thank the president for years of financial support given to the Trump campaign to promote a pro-gun agenda.  Trump’s order follows a campaign in which he was proud of the fact that he “did nothing” in response to mass shootings and promised gun-rights groups that he would undo “every single Biden attack on gun owners and manufacturers.”

Some of President Biden’s evidence-based policies to reduce gun violence, that are now in danger of being eliminated, include regulations on ghost guns, expanded background checks on gun sales, and tougher regulatory oversight of lawbreaking gun dealers.  This is also being done in the wake of Trump dismantling America’s first ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention, that was shut down immediately upon his taking of office.

We encourage the new Attorney General to continue the life-saving efforts that are already in place to reduce gun violence in this country, and that have been upheld as consistent with the rights guaranteed under the Constitution, time and time again.   Our lives depend on it.

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