Second Amendment advocates are furious with President Trump and are threatening to sit out the November midterms. Politico reported that the core issue stems from President Trump’s remarks regarding Alex Pretti, who was legally carrying a licensed firearm when he was killed by federal agents last week. The president insisted Pretti “should not have been carrying a gun.”
The statement sent shockwaves through the gun rights community, which often views the White House as the most pro-Second Amendment administration in history. It completely undercuts the very principles gun rights groups fight for, leaving advocates “furious,” and insisting that they “will not come out and vote.”
The president wasn’t the only official who angered the base. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that “you cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want.” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem also weighed in, saying she didn’t “know of any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign.”
The comments do not match the ideals of the Second Amendment
Gun rights groups have spent years fighting the idea that simply carrying a gun implies guilt or criminal intent. In the past, Erica Kirk defended this concept even after her husband was murdered. Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights, was direct about his frustrations: “This was not a good look for your base. You can’t be a conservative and not be radically pro-gun.” This sentiment was also echoed by Kyle Rittenhouse.
The timing for this internal Republican spat couldn’t be worse. The GOP is trying desperately to retain its slim majorities in the House and Senate, and alienating a core voting bloc could be devastating. Brown warned that it doesn’t take much to swing an election. “All you have to do is lose four, five, six percent of their base who left it blank, who didn’t write a check, who didn’t walk districts, you lose,” he explained.
John Commerford, the National Rifle Association (NRA) Institute for Legislative Action executive director, urged activists to look at the big picture. “Rather than trying to extract meaning from every off-the-cuff remark, we look at what the administration is doing, and the Trump administration is, and has been, the most pro-2A administration in modern history.”
This, however, isn’t the first time the Trump administration has caused headaches for gun activists. In the past, they have attempted to ban bump stocks and even considered restrictions on transgender Americans owning firearms.
Aidan Johnston, director of federal affairs for Gun Owners for America, believes the administration has a “mixed record.” He acknowledged that many officials genuinely support the Second Amendment, but his job is to hold them to their promises.
Published: Feb 1, 2026 01:40 pm