On Thursday, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) announced that it would provide legal representation for Donald Trump should his concealed carry permit be revoked by the NYPD. This decision comes after Breitbart News reported on Wednesday that the police force was preparing to revoke Trump’s permit following numerous felony convictions handed down by a jury last week.
According to CNN, Trump’s permit has already been suspended since April 1st, 2023, following his indictment on various charges. The New York Times also noted that an investigation into the matter is underway by the NYPD and it is anticipated that Trump’s permit will be revoked once this process concludes.
However, the NYT admitted that Trump “has the right to file a challenge to the move.” The SAF has made clear its intentions to litigate on Trump’s behalf if his concealed carry permit is indeed revoked by the authorities. In a statement released Thursday, SAF founder and executive vice president Alan Gottlieb emphasized Donald Trump’s lack of any history of violent crime. He argued that under the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen ruling, which requires gun laws to have some analogous connection to historical regulation at the time the Founders wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights, Mr. Trump should not lose his Second Amendment rights due to his recent legal issues.
Gottlieb further explained that there is no historical nexus to deny someone, including Trump, their gun rights over such a conviction. He concluded by emphasizing the need for revisiting existing gun control laws and changing them in order to protect an individual’s gun rights more effectively. Until that happens, the SAF expressed its willingness to face New York State or the federal government in court should they attempt to infringe upon Trump’s Second Amendment rights.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio, a pro-staffer for Pulsar Night Vision, and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010 and has a Ph.D. in Military History. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at [email protected].