Most pro-Second Amendment organizations were optimistic about how acting Attorney General Todd Blanche would handle gun issues if confirmed to the post.
President Donald Trump nominated Blanche to serve as attorney general in June, roughly two months after the departure of Pam Bondi from the job. The nomination appeared to hit a roadblock when Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn cancelled a meeting with Blanche, claiming his concerns about a DOJ “weaponization” fund were not addressed satisfactorily, potentially postponing a vote scheduled for Thursday.
Concern arose on social media after Gun Owners of America (GOA) posted some of Blanche’s responses to senators’ questions about Second Amendment issues on X Monday.
“Attorney General Nominee @DAGToddBlanche was asked about GOA & gun policy,” the gun-rights group said. “His answers may shock gun owners.”
In the responses highlighted by GOA, Blanche expressed opposition to defunding or abolishing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), said so-called “safe storage” laws were up to Congress to determine, while also noting that the Justice Department (DOJ) would continue to defend against litigation seeking to toss the National Firearms Act of 1934.
Second Amendment advocates previously expressed frustration over the Trump administration’s DOJ defending gun laws, notably the National Firearms Act, from legal challenges; a top official told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the criticism was misplaced.
“I understand people have policy differences with DOJ’s enforcement of federal laws, but, in my opinion, and I’ve said this to many gun groups, the appropriate place to launch those policy discussions is in Congress, not with us,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said during a June interview with the DCNF.
GOA did not back down from the criticism of the Trump administration for defending gun laws the group felt were unconstitutional when reached for comment by the DCNF.
“Gun Owners of America hopes to work with acting Attorney General Blanche to rectify the many missteps of Pam Bondi on Second Amendment issues—such as her defense of unconstitutional federal gun laws like the National Firearms Act,” GOA Director of Federal Affairs Aidan Johnston told the DCNF.
“The Department of Justice proved it does not have to defend unconstitutional gun laws when it declined to enforce the USPS ban on mailing handguns in response to a GOA lawsuit. GOA also appreciates acting Attorney General Blanche’s public defense of the Second Amendment and willingness to work with (not against) the firearm industry.”
Johnston also noted that GOA had taken no position on Blanche’s confirmation.
“On a constitutional right, deference is not leadership,” National Association for Gun Rights Executive Director Taylor Rhodes told the DCNF. “We will keep pressing the Department, whoever leads it, regardless of party, to drop its defense of the NFA and treat the Second Amendment as a right rather than a regulatory question.”
Pro-Second Amendment groups, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), GOA, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), were critical of the administration’s defense of the NFA, with NRA, SAF and FPC arguing in a July 13 brief filed with the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit that charges against Christopher Machamer for making short-barreled rifles were unconstitutional. The NRA did not respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
“Todd Blanche has been relatively strong on gun rights since becoming acting Attorney General,” SAF Director of Legal Research and Education Konstadinos Moros told the DCNF. “That’s not to say we agree with the DOJ’s positions on everything – far from it, as we have active lawsuits against them – but under his watch, we’ve seen positive ATF rule proposals and new lawsuits filed against abusive state and territorial gun laws. His responses are the cautious approach we’d expect from someone facing a senate confirmation vote.”
The Civil Rights Division of the DOJ has launched litigation against states and territories over gun-control laws, including targeting California over legislation banning Glock pistols, while suing Virginia, the Virgin Islands and Denver over bans on modern semiautomatic firearms.
The American Suppressor Association expressed its support for Blanche’s nomination in a July 17 post on Instagram, while Women For Gun Rights announced their support for his nomination in June.
(DCNF)
