WASHINGTON — Today, after the first Presidential debate, Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action released the following statements:
“When it comes to gun violence, the contrast couldn’t be more stark: President Biden is focused on keeping our communities and law enforcement safe, while Donald Trump is focused on keeping gun rights extremists on his side,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “When Trump was in office, he let the gun lobby call the shots, and the result was a spike in shootings. Now, as he runs for a second term, Trump is bragging about doing nothing to prevent gun violence while promising to roll back the life-saving progress we’ve made on gun safety under President Biden.”
“Tonight’s debate reaffirmed what we have long known to be true — a second Donald Trump presidency would be disastrous for the safety of our communities,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “Trump can continue his showboating for the NRA, but our movement has outgrown the gun lobby in power and is ready to re-elect the Biden-Harris Administration this fall. Voters want a leader who will prioritize their safety, and it is clear that candidate is President Biden.”
“They say when someone shows you who they are, believe them,” said Leighanne Muñoz, a gun violence survivor and member of the Students Demand Action National Organizing Board. “Donald Trump has made it clear that he does not care about young people in this country as he’s literally told us to ‘get over’ school shootings, while guns have become the leading cause of death for young people in America. That was no different tonight. So, we’re focused on November and getting the strongest gun safety administration in history re-elected, because President Biden has shown time and time again he will act to put our safety and the safety of our communities first.”
Trump’s Record on Guns:
- After a school shooting in Iowa earlier this year, Trump told his supporters “we have to get over it” and “move forward.”
- At the NRA’s Great American Outdoor Show, Trump bragged that he “did nothing” to address gun violence during his presidency and promised to roll back the Biden-Harris administration’s progress on gun safety.
- Trump has repeatedly refused to condemn violence by right wing extremists and his supporters, including white supremacists at Charlottesville, the El Paso mass shooter, and the Kenosha gunman.
- His lies about the 2020 election led to a violent, armed insurrection on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to overturn the election — and he’s now facing serious criminal charges.
- In the midst of his multiple criminal investigations, Trump pressured House Republicans to defund the FBI and Justice Department.
- Donald Trump made it easier for people with dangerous histories to purchase guns.
- In February 2017, Trump signed a law repealing the Social Security Administration rule requiring that the records of those who have mental health conditions be submitted to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check system.
- Trump pledged to take action on gun safety after the El Paso and Dayton mass shootings, but after NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre reportedly told Trump to“stop the games,” he took his marching orders and walked away from his commitment.
- In 2020, the Trump administration lifted a ban on sales of silencers to overseas buyers at the behest of Michael B. Williams––a former lobbyist for a gun industry association who previously wrote a failed gun lobby bill designed to gut silencer laws and went on to work for the Trump administration.
- Trump explicitly cut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gun violence research funding in his 2020 budget.
President Biden’s Record on Guns:
- Under President Biden’s leadership, Congress broke a nearly 30-year logjam on gun safety when he signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) into law. In the two years since BSCA was signed into law:
- 800 firearm purchases by individuals under the age of 21 were prevented due to BSCA’s enhanced background check process;
- More than 500 defendants have been charged under the federal gun trafficking and straw purchasing statutes created in BSCA, and prosecutions for unlicensed firearms dealing have also increased;
- Hundreds of millions of dollars have been awarded to states, community-based organizations, and schools, among others, to support crisis intervention programs, like Extreme Risk laws, community violence intervention programs, and evidence-based school safety programs.
- He nominated the first Senate-confirmed ATF director in seven years.
- President Biden has issued historic executive actions to address gun violence, including combating deadly, untraceable ghost guns, finalizing the stabilizing arm brace rule, and promoting the secure storage of firearms in schools.
- Last year, President Biden established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
- In April, the Administration finalized a lifesaving rule closing loopholes that have allowed unlicensed gun sellers to sell guns to prohibited persons without a background check.