Dec 11, 2019

Gov. DeSantis decries "loophole" allowing Pensacola shooter to buy gun

Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to the press following the shooting at Pensacola Naval Air Base, Dec. 6. Photo: Josh Brasted/Getty Images

The Jacksonville FBI office confirmed on Tuesday that the Pensacola shooter, a Saudi Arabian citizen, legally obtained a handgun in the U.S. by having a valid Florida hunting license.

Driving the news: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) denounced the federal exemption that allowed the shooter to legally purchase a gun and said that the regulation should be reexamined, calling it a "loophole."

"That's a federal loophole that he took advantage of. I'm a big supporter of the Second Amendment, but the Second Amendment applies so that we, the American people, can keep and bear arms. It does not apply to Saudi Arabians."
"So he had no constitutional right to do that for sure. Why the federal law has that, I'm just not sure. I was not aware of that ... so, yeah, I think they should definitely look at that."
— Ron DeSantis, in a press briefing on Sunday

Background: DeSantis signed a state law in May allowing classroom teachers to be armed in response to school shootings like the one in Parkland in 2018.

  • Under Florida's previous governor, Rick Scott (R), Parkland prompted gun control measures, including raising the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21 and extending waiting periods.

Yes, but: The exemption in question exists at the federal level, not the state.

Go deeper: Pentagon to review international student vetting in wake of Pensacola attack

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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 12,859,834 — Total deaths: 567,123 — Total recoveries — 7,062,085 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 3,297,501— Total deaths: 135,155 — Total recoveries: 1,006,326 — Total tested: 40,282,176 — Map.
  3. States: Florida smashes single-day record for new coronavirus cases with over 15,000 — NYC reports zero coronavirus deaths for first time since pandemic hit.
  4. Public health: Ex-FDA chief projects "apex" of South's coronavirus curve in 2-3 weeks — Coronavirus testing czar: Lockdowns in hotspots "should be on the table"
  5. Education: Betsy DeVos says schools that don't reopen shouldn't get federal funds — Pelosi accuses Trump of "messing with the health of our children."
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Scoop: How the White House is trying to trap leakers

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Why it matters: This hunt for leakers has put some White House staffers on edge, with multiple officials telling Axios that Meadows has been unusually vocal about his tactics. So far, he's caught only one person, for a minor leak.

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Lauren Boebert posing in her restaurant in Rifle, Colorado, on April 24. Photo: Emily Kask/AFP

At least 11 Republican congressional nominees have publicly supported or defended the QAnon conspiracy theory movement or some of its tenets — and more aligned with the movement may still find a way onto ballots this year.

Why it matters: Their progress shows how a fringe online forum built on unsubstantiated claims and flagged as a threat by the FBI is seeking a foothold in the U.S. political mainstream.

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