As Trump targets mail-in ballots, admin floats rule permitting handguns in USPS. One California Rep. has had enough: ‘Make it make sense’

The Trump administration is raising the idea of allowing handguns to be shipped through the U.S. Postal Service, a move that has collided with a debate over mail-in voting and firearms policy in partisan rhetoric.

On the topic of guns in the mail, Democratic Rep. Mike Levin of California’s 49th District — who represents coastal North County San Diego and parts of Orange County, and has frequently focused on voting rights, gun regulation, and federal postal policy — responded on social media, questioning what he sees as a contradiction in priorities.

So apparently Washington Republicans have no problem trusting USPS to ship handguns in the mail, but they simply can’t be trusted with your mail-in ballot? Make it make sense,”

Mike Levin

Levin’s comments came amid renewed attention on election rules. Trump continues to argue for tighter restrictions on mail-in ballots, which they have repeatedly linked to concerns about fraud.

Voting rights advocates say mail ballots expand access and have been used for decades in many states, including California and Oregon.

Election officials and courts in multiple states have widely disputed those claims. Dozens of court cases and audits following the 2020 and 2024 elections found no evidence of widespread fraud that would have changed election outcomes.

USPS handgun mailing rule could soon change

At the same time, the Trump administration has proposed allowing handgun shipments in the mail, as ABC News reports. The Postal Service outlines firearm shipping restrictions in its regulations. They state that “handguns are nonmailable” except under specific federally regulated conditions.

The proposal would overturn a 1927 law and allow the mailing of handguns. Those shipments would be regulated under the same rules that currently apply to rifles and shotguns. The USPS is now reviewing public comments after the comment period closed on May 4, 2026. It has not enacted any final policy

One comment on Levin’s that framed the debate in political terms.

That’s because to Trump mail-in ballots are far more lethal to his future than a gun ever would be. More guns in Americans hands, delivered through USPS & the potential harm that poses is of no concern but you can best believe that being impeached for the 3rd time & possibly…”

TIKdOffPinsNThings, X

This contradiction argument has been echoed by groups like Everytown for Gun Safety. The group’s president, John Feinblatt, recently remarked that “a ballot is the only thing this White House thinks is too dangerous to send through the mail.”

Handguns and ballots aren’t the same, Trump supports say

Supporters of expanded gun rights often counter that lawful firearm ownership and election security are separate policy domains and should be regulated independently.

As these debates continue, neither congressional Republicans nor postal officials have issued any formal rule changes regarding handgun shipments in the mail.

In May 2026, a coalition of 22 state Attorneys General, led by states like California, Delaware, and New Jersey, sent a formal letter to the USPS opposing the rule. They argue the executive branch cannot unilaterally override a 1927 act of Congress.