Trump puts Republicans in a tough spot on gun rights
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Republican lawmakers are caught between the powerful gun lobby and top Trump officials over the deadly shooting of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti.
Why it matters: The GOP has a long, mutually beneficial history with influential Second Amendment rights groups. The tragedy in Minneapolis is complicating their political messaging.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) was asked Tuesday about Trump's latest comments on Pretti carrying a gun.
- "One. It's a constitutional right. Two. It's legal under the laws of the state of Minnesota," Thune said. "Perhaps he didn't have ID, but with that exception, he was in compliance with the laws. He has a constitutional right."
Between the lines: "You can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns," President Trump told reporters on Tuesday in response to questions about the fatal shooting in Minnesota.
- "I don't like the fact that he was carrying a gun that was fully loaded," Trump told Fox News later Tuesday.
- Homeland Security officials have been quick to defend the actions of immigration law enforcement by arguing that Pretti had been carrying a gun.
That rationale has put the administration at odds with gun rights advocates, and some Republicans, who argue the response marks a sharp departure from decades of conservative orthodoxy on the Second Amendment.
- "I'd also like to remind federal leaders that words matter," Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) wrote on X on Tuesday. "Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms, and the mere possession of a firearm does not represent a threat justifying lethal force."
- "His family, law-abiding citizens exercising their Second Amendment right and the trust of the American people deserve a fair process," Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) posted.
What they're saying: Several GOP lawmakers cited Second Amendment rights in their response to Pretti's death.
- "Your Second Amendment rights don't disappear when you exercise your other rights," Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) posted on X on Monday.
- "Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it's a Constitutionally protected God-given right," Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) posted.
- "Our Constitution provides citizens protection from the government. We have a right to free speech, to peaceably assemble and to bear arms," Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) said in his statement.
The big picture: The Gun Owners of America released a statement after Pretti's death emphasizing that "peaceful protests while armed isn't radical — it's American."
- The Gun Owners Caucus of Minnesota criticized statements by FBI director Kash Patel, saying he was "completely incorrect on Minnesota law. There is no prohibition on a permit holder carrying a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines at a protest or rally in Minnesota."
The other side: "PRESIDENT TRUMP IS EXACTLY RIGHT," Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told Axios on Tuesday. Norman said people shouldn't carry guns into situations where people are interfering with law enforcement operations.
The bottom line: The NRA has spent tens of millions of dollars on federal elections, primarily backing Republican candidates, according to data compiled by Open Secrets.
- That gives the gun rights group enormous leverage inside the party.
