Trump v Harris on Guns

How This Election Will Decide the Future of Guns in America

by Richard Baimbridge

With the election now days away, and polls showing a race too close to call, it’s a good time to consider the future of 2A and gun ownership rights under a Trump presidency versus a Harris administration. So, let’s take a quick look at what’s likely to play out, considering not just the candidates’ personal stands on guns, but how realistic any changes would be given the checks and balances of the government and the Constitution. 

It’s a no-brainer that (despite recent assassination attempts) Donald Trump is by far the more pro-gun of the two candidates. Yet Kamala Harris has consistently said that both she and Tim Waltz are proud gun-owners, and that she has “no intention of taking your guns away.”

But let’s begin with her record in California, a state with some of the strictest gun laws in America, to see if that’s true.

While serving as District Attorney of San Francisco, Harris collaborated with then-mayor Gavin Newsom to pass Proposition H in 2005, which included:

• A total ban on ownership, manufacture, sale, and distribution of handguns within city limits, along with prohibiting the sale or transfer of ammunition.

• The proposition was passed by San Francisco voters, but faced immediate legal challenges.

• Courts later ruled that the proposition violated California State law and overturned the ban in 2006. This ruling was upheld by the California Supreme Court in 2008.

Under Prop H, the Glock that Harris says she owns would in fact be illegal, unless there was an exemption for state officials. Furthermore, she supports a ban on “high capacity” magazines of over 7 rounds, which would also likely make her gun illegal, as the vast majority of Glocks hold at least 10 rounds.

During the 2019 primary campaign, Harris and Biden clashed on the issue of a mandatory buy-back program for “assault weapons,” which she calls “weapons of war.” Biden countered that such a ban would be unconstitutional, and thus impossible to implement. Harris’ response was indicative of a new generation of Democrats who see the Constitution as more of a hinderance to progressive ideas than the cornerstone of our nation -- ”How about ‘Yes We Can?’” she retorted.

After winning the election, Biden made Harris head of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. And since becoming the 2024 presidential candidate, she’s doubled-down on her position that a ban on AR-15s would not violate the 2^nd Amendment. Harris now insists that she will issue a ban by executive order if Congress fails to act within the first 100 days of her presidency, should she win the election.

If you think that’s just rhetoric, consider that even mainstream Democrats have started to doubt the US Constitution, particularly in terms of guns and free speech.

It’s clear that progressive liberals like Harris no longer feel bound by the limits of the Constitution on major issues, with some even openly calling for “torching” it all together, as a recent New Yorker article brazenly suggests. Thus, it would be unwise for gun advocates to expect the 2^nd Amendment will protect them from a mandatory gun confiscation program led by the US Government.  

Our neighbors to the north in Canada passed a $67 million mandatory buyback program in 2020 on what it declared to be “assault weapons.” Four years later, not a single weapon has been handed over. Yet the Canadian government is still moving forward with the program, despite it being highly unpopular with both gun advocates and critics who say it doesn’t go far enough.

Trump's Stance on Gun Rights

Although Trump moved to ban bump stocks after the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, the ban was later overturned by the Supreme Court in 2024 — in part due to the Conservative justices he appointed. Trump also signed the Fix NICS Act to update the universal background checks process, and appointed federal judges with largely gun-friendly views.

• Gun-Free Zones and School Security: Trump has consistently argued against gun-free zones, believing that armed citizens, particularly in schools, are key to stopping mass shootings.

• Arming teachers and enhancing school security with metal detectors and police officers. During an NRA event in April 2023, Trump said that he was supportive of a tax credit for teachers who wanted to carry a firearm in schools.

• Roll back all gun-related regulations implemented under the Biden administration.

Trump has promised that if reelected, he would roll back all gun-related regulations implemented under the Biden administration. This includes revoking the "zero-tolerance" policy for gun dealers who violate firearm laws.

“Every single Biden attack on gun owners and manufacturers will be terminated on my very first week back in office, perhaps my first day,” he said.

Whichever way this election goes, the future of guns in America very much hangs in the balance.

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