What Will Trump Do About Guns? National Open Carry Law, Pro-Gun Judges And More Could Mark Presidency

For gun rights activists and advocates, a Donald Trump presidency combined with a Republican-led Congress represents an opportunity to loosen or do away with current restrictions via federal legislation, even if it means bucking traditional support of states’ rights, the Associated Press reported Sunday. Gun rights enthusiasts hope to specifically gain ground on issues like looser background checks, concealed weapons licenses carrying over from state-to-state – which would require federal legislation – and the abolition of gun-free zones at schools.

Trump’s firm stance in full support of the Second Amendment, which grants citizens the right to bear arms, was one of the main tenets of his campaign and helped his successful push for the White House last month. And his plans for the future, according to his website, suggest gun lobbyists and supporters will have an advocate in the Oval Office.

“Defend the Second Amendment of our Constitution. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon. Period,” a bullet point on Trump’s site reads.

Trump perhaps made his biggest subliminal hint to the gun lobby in August when he made a veiled threat to former opponent Hillary Clinton. Trump alluded to his “Second Amendment people” when speaking about Clinton’s possible selections for the Supreme Court.

"If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is," he said at the time.

The comment, which Trump’s campaign later said was meant to be amusing, caused a significant uproar and earned him a talking to from the Secret Service. But it also likely further helped endear himself to gun enthusiasts.

Trump's website also calls for nominating Supreme Court justices who will defend the amendment, enforcing laws “on the books,” the defense of law-abiding gun owners and revamping the country’s mental health system. But the key points that will stick out to gun rights supporters and give them hope is calls for a national “right-to-carry” law, a move to better implement the existing background check system rather than expanding it and taking on gun and magazine bans.

New York, California, Washington D.C., Illinois, Florida and South Carolina each have laws prohibiting open carry of handguns, according to SmartGunLaws.org, but a national carry law could strengthen Trump’s approval in Florida and South Carolina if he chooses to run for re-election in 2020. Both Florida and South Carolina picked Trump in the 2016 election and could join states that require permits for licenses to openly carry guns, including Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, states that also all backed the Republican candidate.

Immediately after Trump’s victory over Clinton, one of the most powerful voices in the gun lobby quickly pounced on the fresh opportunity.

"This is our historic moment to go on offense and to defeat the forces that have aligned against our freedom once and for all," NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre said in a video posted on Nov. 8, according to the AP. "The individual right to carry a firearm in defense of our lives and our families does not and should not end at any state line."