In movies like Enemy of the State, Americans are shown a dystopian world where government surveillance turns ordinary citizens into targets, with shadowy agencies tracking their every move without oversight or accountability. Sadly, this Hollywood nightmare is now reality.
During the Biden administration, federal agencies like the FBI were secretly monitoring law-abiding gun owners through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) — tracking their lawful firearm purchases without a warrant and without ever informing those being monitored. Even Congress was kept in the dark. What once seemed like fiction is now a troubling truth, as the federal government turns its surveillance powers inward against its own people, eroding the freedoms it was meant to protect.
For years, the FBI has been surveilling the gun purchases of thousands of law-abiding citizens using the NICS system. This daily NICS Monitoring program operates without the requirement of a warrant or probable cause, and entirely outside the purview of any court. It enables federal agents to select a target for surveillance and receive a notification every time the victim purchases a firearm. Surveilled Americans have no way of ever knowing they are being tracked.
None of this information is new. Gun Owners of America has reported on the FBI’s NICS Monitoring abuses <a href="https://www.ammoland.com/2024/12/foia-shows-the-extent-of-atf-monitoring-americans-through-fbis-nics-system/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at length</a>, and the FBI’s warrantless surveillance program has been the subject of a years-long Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) lawsuit pitting GOA against a <a href="https://www.gunowners.org/atf-attempts-to-silence-gun-owners-of-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">belligerent</a> and uncooperative Department of Justice.
<h3>Ongoing NICS Monitoring Abuses</h3>
Naturally, being free to operate entirely without legal standards or judicial oversight, federal agents have rampantly abused NICS Monitoring, surveilling individuals engaged in all manner of innocuous activities. Without any accountability, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) requested NICS Monitoring of individuals who purchased firearms in response to social unrest, those whose firearm expenditures appeared disproportionate to their income, and even persons who bought and sold firearms as a hobby.
During the Biden administration, federal agents even directed their surveillance toward ordinary Californians — like a modern-day Panopticon, where prison inmates can be secretly watched without knowing when. In a recent <a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fbi-weaponizes-background-checks-enforce-california-gun-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FOIA production</a>, GOA discovered that the FBI had been assisting in the enforcement of anti-gun states’ “assault weapons” bans. The FBI actually used NICS Monitoring on one individual for suspected violations of California’s unconstitutional gun regime — despite there being no evidence of any federal wrongdoing.
Thankfully, Pam Bondi’s DOJ recently <a href="https://x.com/GunOwners/status/1915855957927616648" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered the FBI</a> to end the Biden-era practice of using NICS monitoring to help enforce state gun laws. But who knows how long this practice has been occurring? Because with such a low bar for monitoring, perhaps you have also been NICS Monitored, maybe for nothing more than a Facebook comment or a bumper sticker, or attendance at a political rally. Of course, you would never know either way.
<h3>FBI Weaponization Against January 6 Protesters</h3>
Now, GOA has discovered that the FBI’s surveillance program goes further than previously thought. Recently obtained FOIA documents reveal the NICS Monitoring of a person suspected of being present at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
In fact, in one June 6, 2023 NICS Monitoring submission, an unnamed FBI agent requested NICS Monitoring of an individual’s lawful gun purchases for a period of six months, for several “violations or potential violations” that are common J6 charges:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">18 U.S.C. § 231(a)(3) &#8211; Civil Disorder; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)(1) and (2) &#8211; Restricted Building or Grounds; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)(E) &#8211; Impeding Passage through the Capitol Grounds or Buildings.</li>
</ul>
Of course, this should come as no surprise. After all, the Biden-era FBI was no stranger to victimizing thousands of Trump supporters associated with January 6. On January 6 itself, the U.S. Capitol was crawling with <a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/legal-scholar-raises-concerns-over-doj-hiding-fbi-informants-jan-6">FBI informants</a>, seemingly directed to frame those attending the President’s “Save America” rally.
In the days that followed, the FBI <a href="https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/540721-intercept-reporter-fbis-rapid-collection-of-phone-records-after-capitol-riot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aggressively collected</a> cell phone data of those who had been present in Washington, DC, often without a warrant. The FBI even improperly <a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fbi-surveillance-75c466a64e838ab12eaef96f6335f3cd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accessed</a> information collected under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to target purely domestic persons and activities. And in the twilight hours of the Biden regime, the Department of Justice <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-searches-alleged-jan-6-rioters-home-ahead-donald-trumps-return-pre-rcna137787" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued to raid</a> suspected January 6ers’ homes, with FBI operations extending well into December of 2024.
But now, the United States has a new Attorney General. And when Pam Bondi took her oath of office, she <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bondi-sworn-attorney-general-mission-end-weaponization-justice-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> to end the rampant “weaponization” of the FBI and to close Biden’s chapter of hyper-partisanship and two-tiered justice for good.
That promise will ring hollow if NICS Monitoring is not dismantled. So long as the mechanism remains in place to surveil gun owners’ lawful purchases — especially with no judicial approval or oversight — there is little stopping a future administration from resuming the abuses of Biden’s FBI.
What once seemed like the stuff of Hollywood thrillers has become a sobering fact of American life. The secret surveillance of lawful gun owners through NICS Monitoring is not just a bureaucratic overreach — it’s a direct assault on the freedoms that define our nation.
To restore trust in our institutions, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel must act swiftly to end warrantless spying on law-abiding gun owners. Americans should not have to live in fear that exercising their rights will land them on a secret government watchlist. We are not characters in a movie — we are citizens of a free republic, and it’s time our government remembered that.
* * *
Erich Pratt is the Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, a national grassroots organization representing more than two million gun owners, and can be followed on X  <a href="https://twitter.com/erichmpratt">@erichmpratt.</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

U.S. Special Operations Command Host Hostage Rescue Demonstration In Tampa

Gun Owners Aren’t Criminals: It’s Time To Dismantle NICS Monitoring

Gun Laws

Gun Sales

Guns

January 6

Opinion

Second Amendment

U.S. Capitol

Children in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> will soon be able to anonymously report their parents or other adults for &#8220;improperly&#8221; storing firearms &#8220;that are accessible to a minor.&#8221;
The new tip line was part of an amendment to House Bill 5503, a supplemental K-12 budget that passed the Michigan legislature on Wednesday, The Midwesterner <a href="https://www.themidwesterner.news/2024/09/michigan-legislature-creates-tip-line-for-students-to-anonymously-turn-in-parents-for-improperly-stored-guns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. A new gun storage <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/newsroom/2024/02/08/firearms-laws" target="_blank" rel="noopener">law</a> went into effect in Michigan earlier this year, requiring gun owners &#8220;to keep unattended weapons unloaded and locked with a locking device or stored in a locked box or container if it is reasonably known that a minor is likely to be present on the premises.&#8221;
The new provision, which is part of a supplemental spending bill, allocates $1 million for the tip line for the 2024-2025 school year. The provision also requires that educational materials on how to properly store firearms be sent to school districts.
The spending bill easily passed the Democratic-controlled state House, but was a closer vote in the state Senate, which is also controlled by Democrats. Republican senators refused to give the bill a two-thirds vote, meaning the bill will not become law until the first quarter of next year, The Detroit Free Press <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2024/09/25/democrats-sweeten-michigan-school-budget-2025/75374217007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Some Republican lawmakers blasted the tip line provision in the bill, with state Sen. Thomas Albert calling it &#8220;a tattletale provision&#8221; and state Sen. John Damoose arguing that it is designed &#8220;to enforce [Democrats&#8217;] gun control agenda.&#8221;
“This hotline is nothing more than a page out of the Stasi playbook—encouraging children to spy on their own families,” state Rep. Angela Rigas told The Midwesterner. “This is a dangerous step toward weaponizing children in households for the left, and an outrageous government overreach under the guise of public safety.”
The supplemental package was passed by the Michigan legislature after Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whitmer-blasted-from-all-sides-for-signing-massive-cuts-to-education-while-she-basks-in-national-spotlight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> by both Republicans and Democrats for signing an education budget in July that cut funding for school safety and mental health by $300 million, a 92% decrease.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Democrats worked to push through the supplemental legislation by providing an additional $125 million for mental health and school safety.
The Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners also criticized the $1 million provision for what it called a &#8220;Report Your Parents Hotline,&#8221; writing on X, &#8220;While we all support responsible firearms storage, this is the type of thing we&#8217;d expect to see from a totalitarian police state.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Report Your Parents Hotline
This amendment was inserted into the conference committee report of the Michigan School Aid bill (HB 5503 CR-1) today. The conference committee report is expected to be voted on immediately in the House and Senate with no testimony allowed.
This… <a href="https://t.co/qj7rF4nf3z">pic.twitter.com/qj7rF4nf3z</a>
&mdash; Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners (@MCRGO_Michigan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MCRGO_Michigan/status/1839038011943665936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After Whitmer won re-election in 2022 and Democrats took control of the state legislature, the governor said there would be a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whitmer-to-push-for-gun-control-after-re-election-victory-dem-takeover-of-state-legislature" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renewed push</a> for gun control, pointing to the November 2021 shooting at Oxford High School where a student killed four of his classmates.
&#8220;I do believe that you will all of a sudden see a very different environment in Lansing where the Oxford families and advocates will have the ability to make their voices heard and to inform and drive the policy change that this current legislature has completely shut the door to,&#8221; Whitmer said at the time.

Capitol Building, Lansing Michigan

Michigan Lawmakers Create Anonymous Tip Line For Children To Report ‘Improperly’ Stored Guns

Michigan Lawmakers Create Anonymous Tip Line For Students To Report 'Improperly' Stored Guns

Children

Democrats

Michigan

Public Schools

Republicans

Social Issues

Students

U.S.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz doubled down on supporting failed policies in their newly released policy platform, which they unveiled just hours before this week&#8217;s presidential debate against former President Donald Trump.
The roughly 4,500-word platform was heavy on platitudes, did not go deep on many policy issues, and gave few explanations about how she expected to implement her agenda other than repeatedly saying she would &#8220;fight&#8221; for it.
She branded her agenda as a &#8220;New Way Forward&#8221; despite her already being at the helm for nearly four years in the Biden-Harris administration. Nowhere in her platform did she explain how her approach would differ from what she is currently doing.
The platform repeatedly linked Trump to a think tank&#8217;s &#8220;Project 2025&#8221; agenda, even though Trump has no links to the project and has thoroughly disavowed it.
Harris doubled down on her plan for how she will get people in homes with her &#8220;comprehensive plan to build three million more rental units and homes that are affordable to end the national housing supply crisis in her first term.&#8221;
Nowhere does she explain who will build the units and she once again insisted on jacking up demand and housing costs by giving first-time buyers $25,000 in down payment assistance.
She also declared that she will sign legislation to &#8220;outlaw new forms of price fixing by corporate landlords&#8221; without mentioning that it will first have to pass Congress.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724361346607000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZhyOQfEkxcMH_D1Ago3CQ">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
Harris plans to magically create an &#8220;Opportunity Economy&#8221; in which people will submit 25 million new business applications by the end of her first term.
She once again doubled down on Soviet-style price controls, which do not work, to bring down costs that have surged in recent years because of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-kamala-harris-triggered-the-inflation-crisis-that-harmed-america">her role in triggering the inflation crisis</a>.
&#8220;She will go after bad actors who exploit an emergency to rip off consumers by calling for the first-ever federal ban on corporate price gouging on food and groceries,&#8221; her platform states. &#8220;And she’ll keep fighting to bring down prescription drug costs by taking on pharmacy middlemen, who raise consumers’ prices for their own gain and squeeze independent pharmacies’ profits.&#8221;
She doubled down on the socialist agenda of making health care &#8220;a right&#8221; and &#8220;not a privilege&#8221; — which is unconstitutional and incredibly stupid.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Ben Shapiro: You Don&#039;t Have A &quot;Right&quot; To Healthcare" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dr4TZMPmbuw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Harris signaled that she will continue to fight against the oil and gas industry and try to expand green energy, which is one of the top reasons that energy costs have skyrocketed under the Biden-Harris administration.
She will magically enact an agenda that &#8220;advances environmental justice, protects public lands and public health, increases resilience to climate disasters, lowers household energy costs, creates millions of new jobs, and continues to hold polluters accountable to secure clean air and water for all,&#8221; her platform stated.
Harris will support abortion and her platform gave no indication that she supports any kind of limits on it, meaning that she will support abortion up until the moment of birth.
Immediately after the section titled, &#8220;SAFEGUARD OUR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS,&#8221; Harris declared that she will go after Americans&#8217; Second Amendment rights.
She said that she will ban semi-automatic firearms, commonly used magazines, and that she will support laws that strip Americans of their due process rights by taking their firearms without going through the court system.
Her campaign tried to paint her disastrous border record as strong despite overseeing the worst 4-year period of illegal immigration in recorded U.S. history in which more than 10 million illegal aliens have flooded into the U.S.
Harris proposes in her platform rewarding the millions who broke federal law by illegally coming into the U.S., where they have wreaked havoc on communities across the country, by rewarding them with a &#8220;pathway to citizenship.&#8221;

Kamala Harris

Harris Doubles Down On Failed Policies In Newly Unveiled Platform

2024 Election

Donald Trump

Economy

Health Care

Tim Walz

X owner Elon Musk warned over the weekend that the Democrat Party&#8217;s position on firearms is similar to what other totalitarian regimes have done in the past before they end up oppressing their citizens.
Musk&#8217;s warning came in response to Sen. Raphael Warnock (R-GA) expressing an openness to having gun confiscation in the U.S., remarks he made in response to Vice President Kamala Harris previously indicating that she supported gun confiscation.
Warnock made the remarks during a Sunday interview on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; with Kristen Welker when asked about if Harris should still be &#8220;supporting a mandatory gun buy-back program.&#8221;
Warnock said that the Democrats were not going to be able to &#8220;get where we need to go without action in Congress.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve got to pass some laws to deal with this,&#8221; he claimed. &#8220;The least we can do is move forward on the bipartisan spaces where ordinary people agree. Clearly, there&#8217;s a disconnect between what the people, the American people want and what they&#8217;re able to get out of their government.&#8221;
Warnock claimed that officials &#8220;don&#8217;t even want to know who those people are&#8221; that are buying firearms, even though people have to undergo federal background checks to buy guns.
When pressed again on whether Democrats should support gun confiscation, Warnock said &#8220;I think that, again, there&#8217;s not one single thing that will make all of this go away.&#8221;
Musk responded to the clip by posting on X: &#8220;The right to bear arms is there to protect free speech and stop a tyrannical government from taking your rights away!&#8221;
&#8220;That’s why the first thing that all tyrants do is disarm the people, just like Chavez did when he was first elected,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;After that, no more real elections in Venezuela.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
NBC: Should Kamala try to pass mandatory gun confiscation, which she has repeatedly said she supports?
Top Harris surrogate Raphael Warnock: &#8220;We&#8217;re not going to be able to get where we need to go without action.&#8221;
NBC: Yes or no?
Warnock: Yes <a href="https://t.co/YqRSeaGyL1">pic.twitter.com/YqRSeaGyL1</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1832773149206905084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2024</a></blockquote>

Elon Musk In Krakow

Musk Sounds Alarm After Democrat Senator Indicates Support For Gun Confiscation

Elon Musk

NBC&#8217;s Erin McLaughlin appeared to link last Friday&#8217;s Supreme Court decision — which overturned a Trump-era ban on bump stocks — to mass shootings that occurred over the weekend, despite the fact that bump stocks were not used in any of the instances she referenced.
McLaughlin made the intuitive leap during Monday morning&#8217;s broadcast of The Today Show, framing her report for anchor Hoda Kotb as though there was a direct connection between the court&#8217;s ruling and the shootings.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NBC&#8217;s Erin McLaughlin blames the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision on bump stocks to 3 mass shootings over the weekend, despite the fact none of the weapons were equipped with them. <a href="https://t.co/j5IfEKaEWE">pic.twitter.com/j5IfEKaEWE</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1802689317879374160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;A mass shooting at a splash pad in Michigan, another at a Juneteenth celebration in Texas, and yet another at a gathering in Massachusetts — all just days after Friday&#8217;s Supreme Court ruling that rejects a ban on bump stocks,&#8221; McLaughlin began.
&#8220;This morning, friends and families across the country are grieving after multiple mass shootings this weekend,&#8221; the report continued, showing several clips of emergency calls that went out during the shootings as well as the police response.
At the Michigan splash pad, a shooter discharged 28 rounds and injured at least nine, some of whom were children. The shooter then reportedly turned the weapon on himself, and an investigation into his possible motive is ongoing.
In Texas, two were killed and more than a dozen were injured when a gunman opened fire — and in that case, authorities are still looking for the alleged perpetrator.
In Massachusetts, a pop-up party was the target of a shooting that left eight injured.
At the end of the report, McLaughlin circled back to the Supreme Court ruling — seeming once again to suggest a link between the bump stock ban being overturned and the three recent shootings.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 14 USC at Notre Dame

NBC Breathlessly Ties SCOTUS Bump Stock Ruling To Mass Shootings — No Indication They Were Used

NBC Breathlessly Ties SCOTUS Bump Stock Ruling To Mass Shootings — Where They Weren't Used

Gun Control

Media

NBC News

Politics

Supreme Court

President Biden is poised to lose his job. Americans are already frustrated with wide-open borders, crime-infested streets, and unaffordable gas, groceries, and rent. Now, his administration has quietly launched a new war on gun owners — and the lawful gun industry — before his executive authority is stripped away.
In an all-too-typical example of executive overreach, a new <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/30/2024-08813/revision-of-firearms-license-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interim final rule</a> from Biden’s Department of Commerce will vindictively smother American gun companies with layers of bureaucratic red tape and prevent civilians in other countries from lawfully purchasing American firearms and ammunition. This is not only a clear admission of the Biden administration’s disdain for lawful gun owners, but also a backdoor attempt to villainize and bankrupt domestic manufacturers while pushing the president’s globalist agenda beyond our own borders.
Meanwhile, Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has launched its own crusade against Americans’ right to self-defense. ATF’s <a href="https://www.atf.gov/firearms/final-rule-definition-engaged-business-dealer-firearms#:~:text=The%20final%20rule%20implements%20the,than%20a%20gunsmith%20or%20pawnbroker)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Engaged in Business” rule</a> reclassifies gun owners who occasionally sell a firearm as professional dealers, subjecting them to a web of complicated and burdensome regulations with no proven benefits. This rule unconstitutionally expands the agency’s control over ordinary gun owners while also taking another step toward the de facto creation of a national gun owner registry.
Americans have the right — and the responsibility — to fight back.
When the executive branch proposes these restrictions, without the consent of the people’s representatives in Congress, they’re subject to the federal rule-making process. During that process, Americans can submit comments opposing the rule. Those comments must be read by federal officials and should influence the administration’s final decision to move forward with the proposed changes.
While the comment period has closed on the ATF’s business rule, Biden’s ridiculous new firearm export ban is still open for debate. Here’s why you should <a href="https://heritageaction.quorum.us/campaign/61002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">join us in our campaign</a> of opposition:
First, all U.S.-made firearms are already marked with serial numbers, but this rule would require manufacturers to adopt new export control classification numbers (ECCNs) for additional tracking abroad. This would expand the bureaucratic process — increasing compliance costs and lost revenue for American firearm manufacturers — but it would not improve tracking, seeing as any country can already record serial numbers.
Second, while the rule will drastically restrict sales to foreign civilians, it would not impact exports to foreign governments, which reflects the Left’s fundamental belief that only those in power should have weapons, not the people they govern.
The administration has tried to defend this hypocrisy with bad-faith attacks on civilian gun ownership, falsely claiming that firearms legally exported to civilians are more likely to be diverted into black markets than firearms sold to foreign militaries and police agencies. But virtually every credible analysis of international criminal gun trafficking shows that the biggest sources of guns used for crime or terrorism are government stockpiles and illegal imports, not guns legally imported for lawful civilian sales.
Third, as usual, this additional regulation will do nothing to curb crime at home or abroad. The ATF&#8217;s own <a href="https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-ii-part-iv-crime-guns-recovered-outside-us-and-traced-le/download#:~:text=These%20recovered%20and%20traced%20crime,with%20firearms%20lawfully%20exported%20from" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> of international gun crime tracing found that less than 1% of the firearms lawfully exported out of the U.S. between 2016 and 2020 were used in international crime. Just like in the United States, there’s no reason to believe that ordinary lawful gun owners in other countries are a driving force behind violent crime.
The export ban, along with the massive expansion of power at the ATF, are election-year political games designed to appease the president’s radical base at the expense of our constitutional rights. President Biden has demonstrated time and time again his disdain for gun owners and willingness to subvert the American people to advance his agenda.
Our representatives on the Hill have launched efforts to overturn both rules — and they need our support. Heritage Action launched a new <a href="https://heritageaction.quorum.us/campaign/61002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">campaign</a> to help Americans submit comments in support of protecting the Second Amendment. Together, we can fight Biden’s executive overreach and prevent the suffocation of firearms manufacturers nationwide.
* * * 
Kevin Roberts, Ph.D., is president of Heritage Action for America. Ryan Walker is executive vice president of Heritage Action for America.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Daily Wire.

US-GUNS-ASIANS

Biden’s New Campaign Against America’s Law-Abiding Gun Owners

Biden Administration

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

Heritage Action for America

Heritage Foundation

The gun trial of first son, Hunter Biden, started Monday, with jury selection. First lady Jill Biden was in attendance, and the Bidens spent the weekend in Wilmington, Delaware in preparation for the trial. 
Hunter <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/02/politics/hunter-biden-trial-preview/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden</a> is charged with illegally purchasing and possessing a firearm while abusing or being addicted to drugs, which violates federal law. He has pleaded not guilty.
Three <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/02/politics/hunter-biden-trial-preview/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women</a> connected to Hunter Biden are scheduled to testify about his drug us related to the time he purchased the firearm: His ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, his late brother’s widow Hallie Biden whom he dated, along with the woman from Arkansas, Lunden Roberts, the mother of one of his children — a granddaughter Joe Biden has previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/our-son-hunter-and-navys-mother-joe-biden-finally-acknowledges-his-seventh-grandchild-in-friday-night-news-dump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refused</a> to acknowledge. 
Hunter’s words will also come back to haunt him. His <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-joe-biden-election-gun-drugs-e2cc8b5d459ad80e5bd7b05c5e9105c1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memoir</a> shows he was addicted to drugs at the time of the purchase, as does evidence from the so-called “laptop from hell,” the laptop Hunter reportedly left at a Delaware computer repair shop and never claimed.
<div id="attachment_745675" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-745675" class="size-large wp-image-745675" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155274118-864x576.jpg" alt="Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, left, and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden arrive at federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, US, on Monday, June 3, 2024. Jury selection begins Monday in the first of two cases Hunter Biden has tried to avoid for years, both to stay out of prison and spare his father, President Joe Biden, political and personal turmoil as he runs for a second term most likely against Donald Trump. Photographer: Joe Lamberti/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155274118-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155274118-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155274118-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155274118.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Joe Lamberti/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
As the Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-house-democrat-defends-loving-father-biden-says-hunter-has-done-nothing-wrong">reported</a>, President Biden continues to maintain his son’s innocence. While the president is not expected to attend or testify at his son’s trial, he is on record stating, “My son has done nothing wrong.”
And there&#8217;s the rub. 
President Joe Biden detests guns and legal gun owners, but he defends his son, who is charged with violating federal gun laws.
He also lies about gun statistics.
The president has repeatedly claimed that “firearms are the leading cause of death for children.” But according to the fact checkers at the <a href="https://www.nssf.org/articles/the-washington-post-concedes-biden-admin-favorite-gun-control-line-is-a-lie/">Washington Post</a>, not exactly a Right-wing publication, “when all motor vehicle accidents are counted, then motor vehicle deaths continue to exceed firearm deaths for children – as defined as people under age 18.”
The president has also called on <a href="https://www.heritage.org/firearms/heritage-explains/bidens-gun-control-agenda">Congress</a> to pass what he calls “common sense” gun reform, including banning so-called assault weapons (isn’t any weapon used to commit an assault an assault weapon?). 
Biden has also called for required background checks on all gun sales and a ban on high-capacity magazines.
Let’s examine each of these demands.
First, so-called assault weapons are not the gun of choice for criminals.
According to an April 2023 report from <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/04/26/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pew Research Center</a>, 
<blockquote>In 2020, the most recent year for which the FBI has published data, handguns were involved in 59% of the 13,620 U.S. gun murders and non-negligent manslaughters for which data is available. Rifles – the category that includes guns sometimes referred to as “assault weapons” – were involved in 3% of firearm murders.</blockquote>
So Biden wants to ban a class of weapons responsible for approximately 408 deaths versus weapons that were responsible for about 8,035 deaths.
By comparison, about 450 people die each year by falling out of bed. Statistically, the president should therefore be focusing on making beds safer, especially bunk beds and waterbeds, which are clearly the ‘assault weapons’ of beds.
The president also wants to ban so-called high-capacity magazines, which, depending on the definition, is any magazine with a capacity of 10 or more rounds of ammunition. The theory is that the fewer bullets a person has in a magazine, the fewer people he or she can kill without reloading.
Woe to the single mother, living in remote Montana with the nearest police officer 20 miles away, facing three intruders aiming to rape her and kill her children. I think she should have as large a magazine as possible to defend herself and her children.
The last requirement, expanded background checks, is another canard.
Background checks are required for anyone purchasing a firearm from a federally licensed firearm dealer. Background checks are not required for the private transfer of firearms, such as if I decide to legally gift a firearm to my son or sell one to my cousin.
Oh, and Hunter Biden passed his background check, even though he has been charged with falsifying his application.
The last fallacy of Biden’s war against the Second Amendment is that criminals do not, by definition, follow the law. That is what makes them criminals.
From 2017 through 2021, more than 1 million <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/02/10/1153977949/major-takeaways-from-the-atf-gun-violence-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">firearms</a> were stolen from legal gun owners.
In addition, a 2016 <a href="https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/suficspi16.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> of prison inmates reported that approximately 1 in 5 (21%) of all state and federal prisoners reported possessing or using a firearm when they committed the offense for which they were serving time. Of those prisoners, only 7% purchased the weapon under their own name from a licensed dealer. More than half of prisoners (56%) had stolen the weapon, found it at the scene of a crime, or obtained it off the street or from the underground market.
President inconsistency on guns have come to light, given the trial of his son. I do not condemn the president for wanting to defend his son, any father would. However, his hatred of the Second Amendment and of legal gun owners is now on full display, as is his hypocrisy.
* * *
Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and the Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

US-POLITICS-BIDEN

Biden’s Ongoing War On The Second Amendment

Crime

Gun Rights

Hunter Biden

Joe Biden

Readers Pass

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden</a> faced multiple blows in court Thursday, as a judge denied his motion to dismiss his three felony gun charges and an appeals court also ruled against him.
Judge Maryellen Noreika of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware set a three-to-six day trial beginning June 3.
The Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit rejected his appeal, in which Hunter referenced precedent about &#8220;former government officials claiming they are immunized from prosecution based on separation-of-powers principles&#8221; &#8212; even though the first son is not a former government official, and Democrats are zealously seeking to try former president Donald Trump, who is, in state courts.
Hunter also tried to have the charge dismissed by saying the government was bound to a &#8220;diversion agreement&#8221; that would have eventually made the gun charges go away.
U.S. Attorney David Weiss drafted the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hunter-bidens-lawyers-claim-deal-to-resolve-felony-gun-charge-was-binding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deal</a>, then rescinded it last summer after being embarrassed when <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-investigators-probe-alleged-effort-by-hunter-bidens-lawyers-to-punish-irs-whistleblowers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whistleblowers</a> provided evidence of the DOJ seemingly hamstringing investigators on the case. Prosecutors could not point to a single case in which they had agreed to such a generous &#8220;diversion agreement&#8221; for felony gun charges for anyone else, and a probation officer declined to approve the deal.
A lawyer for rapper <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kodak-was-charged-for-the-same-crime-hip-hop-stars-lawyer-condemns-hunter-biden-plea-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kodak Black</a>, who received three years in prison for similar charges, said, &#8220;There’s no such thing as not getting jail time on a gun charge&#8230; 2 tiers of justice?&#8221;
Nonetheless, Hunter argued to the court that he is the victim of &#8220;selective and vindictive prosecution,&#8221; and continued to demand documents to prove it even after the judge shut down the argument. He went so far as to demand information about grand jurors, which is normally secret, because &#8220;it remains possible that in this highly-politicized matter, the grand jury was selected without regard to the bias that people might have.&#8221;
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
The judge <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ded.82797/gov.uscourts.ded.82797.113.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, &#8220;There will be no such evidentiary hearing.&#8221;
The DOJ under Hunter&#8217;s father, President Joe Biden, has charged 1,200 January 6 defendants, sometimes for conduct as petty as trespassing, in D.C., which voted 93% for Biden, and secured a nearly 100% conviction rate.
Hunter&#8217;s lawyers also sought to use the court case to compel the production of documents relating to former officials in the Trump administration, including former Attorney General Bill Barr. The judge wrote, &#8220;Defendant has failed to show how any of the requested communications among former DOJ and Executive Branch officials could constitute exculpatory evidence,&#8221; noting that no one who even communicated with them will testify at trial.
The judge noted that the DOJ has turned over voluminous information to Hunter already, including &#8220;a forensic copy of the devices seized from The Mac Shop&#8221; &#8212; an admission that the Hunter Biden laptop is real, despite government officials suggesting otherwise before the election.
Hunter&#8217;s lawyers previously threatened to trigger a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hunter-bidens-lawyers-threatened-to-put-president-biden-on-witness-stand-if-hunter-was-charged-by-doj-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Constitutional crisis&#8221;</a> by having President Joe Biden testify at his son&#8217;s trial.
Hunter is charged with lying on federal firearms purchase forms that he was not a drug user, despite a raging cocaine addiction. His girlfriend eventually threw his gun in a dumpster. The charge carries a term of up to 10 years in prison.
Days after his gun trial, Hunter is slated to face a second trial on nine tax charges in California.

Judges Reject Hunter Biden’s Claim Of Juror Bias And Political Prosecution, Gun Case Set For Trial

Delaware

A judge in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/washington" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington</a> ruled that the state’s ban on magazines that hold more than 10 rounds is unconstitutional, but the state Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal to pause the judge’s decision, meaning the restriction stays in effect for now.
On Monday, Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Gary Bashor <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24536660-state-of-washington-v-gators-custom-guns-inc-ruling-and-orders-23-2-00897-08" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> in favor of a Washington gun shop that sued the state after lawmakers banned magazines holding more than 10 rounds in 2022. Bashor rejected the state&#8217;s arguments that the magazines were not suitable for self-defense and that the legislation was common sense. 
“This Court must find there exists no set of facts where the Court can find such a generalized ban or restriction on an am (or an instrument that facilitates self-defense) as constitutional under the Washington Constitution,” Bashor <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24536660-state-of-washington-v-gators-custom-guns-inc-ruling-and-orders-23-2-00897-08">wrote</a> in his 55-page decision. “The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights exist to define the outer limits of what Legislatures and Courts are allowed to do. Amending the Constitution and Bill of Rights cannot be done simply by enacting a law, or by a pronouncement from a Court.&#8221;
Bashor added that he found that large capacity magazines (LCMS) are classified as arms under the State Constitution and that members of the public commonly owned them for lawful purposes. 
“The State has not provided evidence that LCMs are NOT commonly and lawfully owned or possessed by civilians for lawful purposes, including self-defense. The State: instead chose to provide expert opinions concluding only that LCMs are not commonly ‘fired for self-defense purposes’, or are not the best choice for self-defense, neither of which are relevant metrics,” he wrote. 
Bashor, who has been a judge in the rural county since 2011, also pointed to the Founding Fathers in his decision. 
“There was no appetite to limit gun rights by the Founders. Though the specific technology available today may not have been envisioned, the Founders expected technological advancements,” Bashor wrote. “The result is few, if any, historical analogue laws by which a state can justify a modern firearms regulation.”
After Bashor&#8217;s ruling, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/was-ban-on-high-capacity-gun-magazines-ruled-unconstitutional/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> an emergency appeal before the state’s high court, arguing magazine capacity limits are constitutional. 
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
“Every court in Washington and across the country to consider challenges to a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines under the U.S. or Washington Constitution has either rejected that challenge or been overruled. This law is constitutional,” Ferguson said. 
Washington State Supreme Court Commissioner Michael Johnston sided with Ferguson, keeping the law in effect while the appeal continued. 
The magazine restriction was one of the many gun control policies adopted in recent years by Washington’s Democratic-controlled legislature and Democratic Governor Jay Inslee, including a ban on the sale of AR-15s and similar rifles.

State Of Illinois Passes Illinois  Assault Weapons Ban

Judge Says Washington’s Restrictions On Gun Magazine Capacity Are Unconstitutional

Constitution

Courts

Washington

The Biden Administration continues to champion efforts to take legally purchased guns away from American citizens after Vice President Kamala Harris <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vp-harris-pushes-gun-control-in-parkland-visit-promotes-new-push-for-red-flag-laws">touted</a> “red flag laws” as an effort to tackle gun violence during a recent visit to Parkland, FL.
During her visit, the vice president announced the creation of a national office that would focus on the implementation of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/23/red-flag-laws-gun-control">red flag laws</a> in states that currently have these laws in place. The Department of Justice (DOJ) would oversee the office which raises alarm bells for supporters of the Second Amendment and Republican <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republicans-blast-biden-admins-red-flag-operation-will-violate-second-amendment-rights">lawmakers</a> on Capitol Hill are raising concerns that this so-called “red flag” operation would indeed violate the Constitution.
Meanwhile, the courts are telling American citizens that illegal immigrants have the right to legally possess a weapon after an Obama-appointed federal judge in Illinois <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/judge-rules-illegal-immigrants-have-gun-rights-protected-second-amendment">ruled</a> that our Constitution protects the rights of individuals who enter this country illegally.
Law-abiding American citizens are frustrated, and they have a right to be.
Approximately 986 different bills to restrict gun <a href="https://www.billtrack50.com/blog/important-gun-law-changes-in-2023/">rights</a> were introduced in the first half of 2023, according to the most recent data available.
My home state of Illinois enacted a law in 2023, <a href="https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/102/PDF/102-1116.pdf">Public Act 102-1116</a>, which prohibits the sale and distribution of so-called “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines. Citizens who owned these previously legal weapons could keep them, only if they <a href="https://isp.illinois.gov/Home/AssaultWeapons#:~:text=Illinois%20residents%20cannot%20lawfully%20purchase,e)%20within%20the%20link%20above.">registered</a> their weapons with the State.
Gun laws do not stop criminals from using guns while committing crimes. Criminals, by definition, do not care about gun laws. <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11121/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal law</a> requires a criminal background check for all firearm sales and transfers by licensed dealers. The challenge is that most criminals do not legally obtain their guns.
Moreover, semi-automatic weapons are not the weapon of choice when committing a crime. According to <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/04/26/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/">Pew Research Center</a>, in 2020 “handguns were involved in 59% of gun murders and non-negligent manslaughters. Rifles — the category that includes “assault weapons” – were involved in 3% of firearm murders.” This means that approximately 408 people were killed by semi-automatic firearms in 2020.
In <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-gun-arrests-2021-convictions-vufa-20210330.html">Philadelphia</a>, people who are accused of illegally carrying a gun have seen their chances of being convicted in court decline from 63% in 2017 to 49% in 2019.
This is why the recent ruling by an Obama-appointed district court judge for the Northern District of Illinois, Sharon Johnson Coleman, is so concerning.
Judge Coleman ruled that a federal ban on undocumented immigrants owning firearms is <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/20/us-news/illinois-judge-rules-illegal-migrants-can-carry-guns/">unconstitutional</a> and dismissed charges against an illegal named Heriberto Carbajal-Flores, who was arrested in 2020 for violating a federal law which prohibits non-citizens from possessing guns. Judge Coleman’s ruling stated that since this illegal immigrant had no criminal record, and the circumstances behind his arrest were not violent, he should not be deprived of his Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Case in point, being in the United States illegally was not enough cause to deny this individual his Second Amendment rights.
Judge Coleman seems to have forgotten one important fact; being in the country illegally is a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1325, which makes it a <a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigration-prosecutions#:~:text=%C2%A7%201325%20makes%20it%20a,entering%20or%20attempting%20to%20enter." target="_blank" rel="noopener">felony</a> to unlawfully enter the United States.
In <a href="https://www.williamsnickl.com/can-i-own-a-gun-after-a-felony-conviction-in-illinois/#:~:text=Once%20you%20are%20convicted%20of,in%20the%20last%2020%20years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illinois</a>, it is illegal for a person convicted of a felony to possess a firearm.
Any person desiring to legally purchase a firearm in the state of Illinois must obtain a Firearms Owners Identification Card (FOID Card). To be eligible for a <a href="https://www.ispfsb.com/Public/Faq.aspx#:~:text=To%20be%20eligible%20for%20a,been%20convicted%20of%20a%20felony." target="_blank" rel="noopener">FOID</a> card, amongst other regulations, a person must not be an alien who is lawfully present in the United States.
You cannot even enter a gun shop or buy ammunition without a FOID card in the state of Illinois.
So, this individual&#8217;s firearm must have been illegally obtained which is another federal violation. Yet, this Obama-appointed judge ruled that he could keep his weapon and cannot be prosecuted for any of his numerous crimes.
On the flip side, a law-abiding American citizen in Illinois, who legally obtains a firearm is now, by definition, a felon, for not registering his or her weapon with the state police.
The Biden administration’s DOJ may want to think twice before coming after a citizen’s right to bear arms — a right guaranteed by our Constitution. Maybe the government and the judiciary should enforce the gun laws that are already on the books before looking to punish legal gun owners and award criminals.
* * *
Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and the Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

US-POLITICS-SHOOTING-GUNS-HARRIS

Operation ‘Red Flag’: Disarm Citizens, Arm Illegal Immigrants

Illinois

Parkland Shooting

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed 30 gun control bills on Tuesday afternoon, using his perch as a Republican governor to restrain Democrats from taking the state in a leftward direction despite the party having taken full control of the legislature in November.
“I swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of Virginia, and that absolutely includes protecting the right of law-abiding Virginians to keep and bear arms,” Youngkin said in a statement.
In the batch of 30 bills blocked on Tuesday, the governor explained his reasoning for each. He blocked a bill that would criminalize gun possession at public colleges, saying that the Democrats failed to consider &#8220;Virginia&#8217;s diverse geographic, cultural, and societal norms across different regions,&#8221; and that individual colleges can already prohibit guns if they want to.
Another bill, prohibiting home-based firearms dealers near schools, appeared to be targeted at one specific individual, and is therefore constitutional, he said.
For decades, Virginia&#8217;s legislature was largely controlled by Republicans, but in recent years, population growth in Northern Virginia led to become essentially a blue state. Democrats gained full control of the legislature in 2019, and aggressively pushed a slew of far-left actions.
Voters rebelled and elected Youngkin in a surprise victory in 2021, along with returning the House of Delegates to Republicans. Dem. Sen. Louise Lucas, then the leader of the Senate, frequently gloated that the Senate was a &#8220;brick wall&#8221; that would prevent Youngkin from getting his way.
Democrats took the House and retained the Senate in November, but now the tables have turned, with Youngkin serving as a brick wall against the legislature. He is currently blocking the Democrats&#8217; proposed budget, which would raise taxes, and seeking a compromise.
Tuesday&#8217;s vetoes show that in order to get bills passed, they will have to work with Youngkin and moderate their positions.
Among the other bills vetoed include one that would have blocked widely-used gun safety courses from being used for concealed carry permits, having people take them instead from the state&#8217;s Department of Criminal Justice Services.
House Bill 799 would have required fingerprints to be submitted to obtain a concealed carry permit, which would be kept by the FBI. Youngkin said in 2012, members of both parties agreed this was superfluous given existing background checks, and that &#8220;concealed carry permit holders are known for being law-abiding citizens in the Commonwealth.&#8221;
House Bill 318 could have issued civil penalties to firearm companies, even though &#8220;the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) already provides a framework for addressing civil actions against firearms industry entities concerning negligent entrustment and defects,&#8221; Youngkin explained. He also said that the &#8220;Department of Justice has consistently defended the PLCAA.&#8221;
&#8220;The DOJ has argued against attempts by states to implement regulatory schemes as a loophole to the PLCAA, deeming them unconstitutional and lacking merit,&#8221; he said.
The veto &#8220;prevents baseless litigation that could financially devastate a lawful industry with exorbitant legal fees. Other lawful industries, such as vaccine producers, have similar protections,&#8221; he wrote.
Youngkin also blocked an attempt to reduce concealed-carry permit reciprocity with other states, a waiting period to purchase guns.
He said an attempt to punish people who left their gun in the car and had it stolen focused on criminalizing legal gun owners instead of the criminals who stole it, and that &#8220;the Commonwealth should prioritize prosecution and severe punishment for individuals who commit crimes.&#8221;
Another bill would have criminalized possessing a firearm within 100 feet of voting locations, which in combination with Democrats&#8217; months-long voting using myriad ballot boxes &#8220;would necessitate individuals to navigate around various locations permanently, regardless of their purpose in the area.&#8221;
Another would use a government entity &#8220;to study the social, physical, emotional, and economic health effects of gun violence,&#8221; which Youngkin said &#8220;would expand the use of studies based on political beliefs.&#8221;
Other bills were unconstitutional, duplicative, vague, or had been overturned by courts when employed in other states, he said, including an age limit of 21 for purchasing guns.
The flurry of dozens of anti-gun bills by Democrats may not be designed to actually reduce violence, as Democrat prosecutors in the commonwealth have increasingly let violent criminals go.
A Virginia man arrested for 12 counts of rape this week was able to allegedly commit those offenses in part because far-left Fairfax County prosecutor Steve Descano had dropped more than a dozen charges for felonies and serious misdemeanors against the man since 2020, <a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/fairfax-county-sexual-assault-suspect-dozens-of-prior-charges-dropped-criminal-history-kevin-lopez-altan-crime-arrest-virginia-prosecutor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WJLA</a> reported.
Virginia governors are limited to a single term, and the next governor will be elected next year.

Glenn Youngkin

Virginia’s Glenn Youngkin Vetoes Dozens Of Gun Control Bills, Emerges As ‘Brick Wall’ Against Democrats

Red States

Virginia

U.S. Capitol police arrested an unidentified man armed with an AR-15 in a park near the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, according to authorities.
“USCP Officers just arrested a man with a gun in the park across from Union Station,&#8221; Capitol police <a href="https://twitter.com/CapitolPolice/status/1721948851387396117" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X. &#8220;At this time we have no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat. We are working to gather more information and will put out more details when they are confirmed.”
Capitol police said authorities searched and secured the park and the suspect’s belongings “out of an abundance of caution.” The suspect remained in police custody on Tuesday afternoon amid an ongoing investigation.
Authorities <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/police-arrest-man-armed-ar-15-near-capitol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> to Fox News the gun in possession of the suspect was an AR-15 and that they believed he was acting alone.
Due to the heavy police activity, authorities restricted access near the Capitol. They announced road closures along Columbus Circle between Louisiana and Delaware Avenues, NE, and D Street between Louisiana and Delaware Avenues, NE.
USCP authorities also <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1721951520038490564" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> responded to a suspicious package in the Upper Senate Park and warned staff and other personnel to avoid the area until further notice. It is unknown if the two incidents were related.
The arrest comes three days after authorities apprehended two individuals with firearms after the suspects crashed a stolen car into a barricade near the Capitol.
Police identified the two suspects as Ricardo L. Glass and Onosetale Okojie of Washington, D.C., both 20 years old, who were arrested for several charges, including carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and unlawful possession of a machine gun, according to Capitol police.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699465681966000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2pmLNxoaU-tuan_7rTtmJl">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
In a <a href="https://www.uscp.gov/media-center/press-releases/uscp-officers-confiscate-guns-capture-criminals-who-crashed-stolen-car" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>, authorities said on Sunday the suspects were idling at a green light near Union Station in a stolen white Infiniti Q50 when an officer noticed the driver could be impaired. When the officer attempted to make a traffic stop, the driver sped away and crashed into a Capitol vehicle barricade near 1st and D Streets around the northeast side of the city.
Glass and Okojie then ran away from the crash, which happened to be near the USCP headquarters, and attempted to escape until they were captured in the area, according to the news release.
Authorities later searched the stolen vehicle and confiscated two Glock handguns – one of which had a “Giggle Switch” to turn the weapon into a machine gun.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
USCP Officers Confiscate Guns, Capture Criminals Who Crashed Stolen Car into Capitol Complex Barricade: <a href="https://t.co/p17Fxd7QYL">https://t.co/p17Fxd7QYL</a> <a href="https://t.co/dTmh4w60W4">pic.twitter.com/dTmh4w60W4</a>
&mdash; The U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/CapitolPolice/status/1721606022861644090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
U.S. Capitol police said authorities have confiscated more than 30 guns in 2023.
“All weapons are prohibited from Capitol Grounds — even if you have a gun that is legally registered in another state or the District of Columbia,” police said.

Menu