US reinstates ‘gun show loophole’ amid rollback of firearms restrictions | US gun control | The Guardian
The Trump administration, through acting attorney general Todd Blanche, reinstated the “gun show loophole” and rescinded other firearm restrictions in what Blanche characterized as the “most comprehensive regulatory reform package in the history” of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The changes allow people to purchase firearms at gun shows without background checks, reversing a 2024 Biden administration rule that required anyone “engaged in the business” of selling firearms to obtain a federal firearms license and conduct background checks regardless of venue. The administration also rescinded a 2023 rule restricting pistol braces, devices that allow shooters to hold weapons against their shoulders like rifles.
Gun rights groups and Republican-led states had challenged Biden’s background check expansion in court, arguing it violated Second Amendment protections and exceeded presidential authority. Blanche justified the rollback by claiming the changes align with Supreme Court rulings and reduce regulatory burden on firearms sellers and owners, stating that “for too long, regulations were written without any real understanding of how firearms businesses operate.” He asserted that the changes do not weaken law enforcement.
Gun control advocacy groups directly contradicted the administration’s claims about public safety. John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, stated the Trump administration’s response to gun violence is to “gut commonsense gun safety laws and sabotage the only federal agency dedicated to keeping guns out of criminal hands,” occurring four days after shootings at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Everytown warned that the changes would make the country less safe and accused the administration of pandering to gun rights activists.
The rollback aligns with Trump’s stated commitment to weakening gun regulation. In February 2024, Trump directed the justice department “to assess any ongoing infringements of the second amendment rights of our citizens” through executive order and subsequently established a civil rights division section focused on gun rights. The Senate confirmed Robert Cekada, a law enforcement officer who had served as the ATF’s deputy director for the past year, as the new ATF head.