A Different Take on What Trump's Administration May Hold

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Earlier today, I wrote about Chuck Schumer trying to pressure Donald Trump into passing gun control, calling it "courageous" to do what he also claims supposedly everyone on the planet wants, and there were some comments about Trump planning on making a gun control announcement.

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That's...troubling.

However, there's also a completely different take, and this one has the added benefit of being pretty much what most of us would like to see. Granted, that should also make it a bit more suspect, but it also is what Trump ran on.

The gun control debate is still as hot as a pistol as Donald Trump gets ready for his second term in office. After a first term where Trump ruffled some feathers of gun owners with his ban on bump stocks, he returns to the White House with lofty goals and an aim to protect the Second Amendment rights of Americans.

On the table this time is Constitutional Carry, which has been introduced by Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie. It has been an idea that has spread so far across 27 states already, with Texas being one of them. In Trump's second term, the idea of national constitutional carry is closer to reality than it has been for some time.

Chris McNutt of Texas Gun Rights says after surrounding himself with bad eggs the first time, Trump has the team in place to make things happen. He also has a better perspective than he did eight years ago.

"The battle lines are clearly drawn now, where he understands where gun owners stand on many issues that he did not understand the first time," he says.

Constitutional carry would allow citizens who are not prohibited from gun ownership to carry without any vetting or permits. In other words, it is basic American freedoms and the right to responsibly bear arms without the government poking around in your business.

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McNutt noted that the ATF could become a bit of a roadblock, but this is an area where I just don't see how. 

Sure, the ATF will continue to do everything it can to infringe on our right to keep and bear arms, but it can't override a law passed by Congress. Even before the Supreme Court killed the Chevron Deference, they couldn't. They darn sure can't do it now. So if a law legalizing Constitutional Carry throughout the United States were to pass, I don't see what the ATF could really do to stop it.

However, let's also be realistic here. The odds of us seeing a national constitutional carry law pass aren't particularly good. At least, not here and now.

We're much more likely to get a national reciprocity law, which is a lot more tolerable to some of the more squishy lawmakers in Congress. They love to trot out the "I support the Second Amendment" thing during the campaign season, but the truth is that they're uncomfortable with people actually having freedom.

National reciprocity is something they can wrap their heads around because at least then everyone got permission from the state first.

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Yes, it's stupid and vile, but this is Congress we're talking about here.

And Trump has come out in favor of national reciprocity. Meanwhile, he and Rep. Thomas Massie don't normally see eye-to-eye, so I don't see him bending over to help the Kentucky lawmaker see his bill become law.

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