6 hours ago
NRA Slams Trump Over Proposal to Bar Transgender Americans from Gun Ownership
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In a striking departure from its usual alignment with Republican leaders, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has issued a forceful rebuke to former President Donald Trump following reports that he is considering a policy to prohibit transgender Americans from legally owning firearms. The proposed restriction, reportedly floated in the wake of a deadly mass shooting in Minneapolis involving a transgender suspect, has ignited a contentious debate about constitutional rights, discrimination, and the scapegoating of marginalized communities .
The NRA released a statement decrying “any policy proposals that implement sweeping gun bans that arbitrarily strip law-abiding citizens of their Second Amendment rights without due process” . The organization, which has historically been a staunch ally of Republican administrations, emphasized that constitutional protections must apply equally to all Americans, regardless of gender identity.
Other influential gun rights groups echoed the NRA’s criticism. Gun Owners of America declared, “The organization opposes any and all gun bans. Full stop,” adding that expanding categories of prohibited persons—specifically targeting transgender individuals—would not only block them from purchasing firearms but could trigger “door-to-door gun confiscation from that new category of individuals” .
The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) also cautioned that “any new rules the government invents today will be abused against ill-favored communities, including conservatives and law-abiding gun owners, tomorrow,” warning of the precedent such a policy could set .
Legal experts and LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations have pointed out that a categorical restriction targeting transgender people would likely violate both the Second Amendment—affirmed by Supreme Court rulings as an individual right to bear arms—and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment . The Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County expanded sex-based discrimination protections to include gender identity, and any attempt to single out transgender people for gun bans would face immediate constitutional challenges.
The policy suggestion has put Trump at odds not only with the gun lobby but also with civil rights groups, generating a rare moment of agreement between advocates for gun rights and LGBTQ+ equality. While the Trump campaign has not issued an official statement clarifying its position, reports indicate that the proposal was considered as a response to increased scrutiny following the Minneapolis shooting, which right-wing media outlets have used to vilify transgender people .
Legal scholars are in broad agreement that such a policy would not withstand judicial scrutiny. The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, outlined that a ban based solely on gender identity would “constitute a direct infringement of the Second Amendment” and likely fail under any standard of constitutional review, as it does not meet the criteria for a compelling governmental interest narrowly tailored to the policy’s stated aim .
The episode has underscored the ongoing vulnerability of transgender Americans to legislative attacks and the importance of intersectional advocacy. LGBTQ+ rights organizations have called on allies across the political spectrum to resist any attempts to single out minority groups for diminished rights. Many see the NRA’s stance as evidence that even traditionally conservative institutions recognize the constitutional and moral perils of identity-based exclusions.
