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Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover what the latest NICS data show about how much gun sales dropped in 2024. We also discuss another federal appeals court delivering an unchanged verdict on a case remanded by the Supreme Court, this time dealing with the gun rights of a non-violent marijuana user. Plus, we cover House Republicans re-introducing national concealed carry reciprocity in Congress, a new semi-automatic firearm ban proposal in Colorado, and how the major gun-control groups say they're feeling as the new administration gets set to take office.
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This week, we're talking to the director of a promising new program designed to prevent acts of mass violence.
Jordan Estrada is the founder and director of Let's Talk to Them. His group takes the latest research on mass shooters, much of which we've talked about on the show before, and tries to put its lessons into practice. The innovative project, which just received its IRS non-profit status, attempts to find people who are considering committing a mass shooting or other act of violence and pull them out of their downward spiral.
Estrada said he and his team consulted with numerous experts before launching their program. They concluded most mass shooters are not predetermined to commit violence. Instead, they are more like people who are experiencing suicidal ideation and can be dissuaded from going through with their attacks.
He pointed to a passage in the Buffalo shooter's writings that indicated he had doubts about carrying out his killing spree but was egged on by visiting 4chan. Estrada said Let's Talk to Them has built a program designed to do the opposite. He said the goal is to talk them down off the ledge, saving their lives and the lives of potential victims. Special Guest: Jordan Estrada. -
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This week, a Wisconsin school shooting provided a potential warning about what might come from the murder of UnitedHealthcare's CEO.
That's not because the two shootings are directly connected but rather because the Wisconsin attack was influenced by the Columbine attack. And the CEO killing has many of the same hallmarks that could lead to it influencing future attacks as well. To examine how likely that is, we have former FBI agent and active shooter research pioneer Katherine Schweit back on the show.
Schweit was part of the team that began tracking active shooter events in the wake of the Sandy Hook attack. She helped create the framework for responding to them for both law enforcement and civilians. She agreed there is reason to think the CEO killing could have a similar effect to that of Columbine.
She said it's hard to know what might happen with future assassination attempts, but the messaging and viral nature of the CEO killing make copycats more likely. But she said she has seen progress in combatting active shooter incidents, with the number falling the past two years. And the same tactics could be used to reduce copycats as well. Special Guest: Katherine Schweit. -
Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I talk about a new ruling out of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld the lifetime felony gun ban against a defendant based on his history of violent misdemeanor convictions. We also cover new survey data from Donald Trump's top pollster indicating strong support for pro-gun judges and policies. We discuss what influence that might have on the incoming administration's policy priorities. Finally, we wrap up with a round up of gun stories from across the country, including new details about the expected shake up amongst ATF leadership under Donald Trump.
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This week, we're discussing one of the highest-profile assassinations we've seen in a long time. One where the killer used a 3D-printed firearm, and video of the attack has been viewed countless times across the country.
To figure out what effect all of that might have on the homebuilt gun community, we've got Rob Pincus back on the show. He's a part-owner of a licensed firearms company but also the organizer of the Gun Maker's Match.
He explained what it was like to have a foot in both worlds and explained the evolution of home gun making from the 1990s through today. He said the tech had advanced a great deal over time, but most home builds still require factory-made parts, and he hopes to get the industry more involved in that side of the gun business. However, he admitted this month's high-profile killing is likely to set those efforts back.
Pincus argued the attention is probably going to bring even more scrutiny to 3D-printing guns. That's likely to amplify the fight over homebuilt firearms. Still, Pincus said he doubts it'll lead to new restrictions at the federal, or even the state, level. Special Guest: Rob Pincus. -
Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I talk about the NRA's New York corruption case finally coming to an end after six years. We also discuss the Supreme Court's latest rejection of a Second Amendment case, the high-profile "Spirit of Aloha" Hawaii gun carry decision. We wrap up by covering the latest reports suggesting the United Healthcare CEO shooter used a 3-D printed gun and what that might mean for homemade gun enthusiasts.
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This week, we're looking ahead at the next four years of gun policy.
With Donald Trump coming back into office having already promised to fire the current ATF director, it's an open question of what he might do with the agency. That's why we have George Mason University Professor Robert Leider back on the show to hear his view of what moves gun-rights activists should pursue. Leider has studied the administrative side of gun policy.
He argues it would be more effective for activists to push for a competent ATF leader to institute pro-gun reforms than to try to cripple the organization. He noted it's very unlikely legislation to disband the ATF or to repeal the underlying laws it enforces could pass Congress. He said the ATF's responsibilities could be moved to another federal law enforcement agency, like the FBI, but argued they could upset activists just as much, if not more.
Leider believes Trump would be better off appointing a new director who understands how the agency operates. He said there are a lot of ways to affect federal gun policy without changing the underlying laws. That's because federal law specifically provides the agency with a lot of leeway on enforcement. Special Guest: Robert Leider. -
Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I break down what we can glean about the UnitedHealthcare CEO's assassin based on surveillance footage of his gun. We also cover President Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter and what that means for Second Amendment challenges related to his gun crimes. We wrap up by discussing the trend of Trump's law enforcement cabinet picks having a history of supporting red flag laws, the US House of Representatives' new legal brief in Smith and Wesson's upcoming Supreme Court case, and what to make of new reports that Trump's relationship with the NRA has soured.
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A lot has happened since the last time we did a Q&A episode. So, this week we're answering Reload Member questions.
Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman joins me in fielding a bunch of different topics. We cover everything from the status of the legal fight over "assault weapons" bans, to what Second Amendment case the Supreme Court might take next, to what Donald Trump's next administration will look like.
We do our best to give as much insight as possible into where things currently lie and where they're headed. Reload Members, as always, give us a lot of great questions to work with! -
This week, we're looking back at the 2024 election and forward at the next administration.
To do that, we have Semafor's Dave Weigel on the show. He joined us shortly before the election to discuss each campaign's gun messaging. Now, he's back to sort through what worked, what didn't, and where things go from here.
Weigel agreed there probably wasn't enough detailed evidence to suss out exactly how well each message performed. But he said the recent downturn in Democratic support for handgun bans is probably tied to Kamala Harris emphasizing her Glock ownership. However, the fact handgun bans are so unpopular to begin with probably underscores how much her history of backing such bans drug her campaign down.
He also looked ahead at the new GOP-controlled federal government. Weigel said Donald Trump may be more motivated to undo what Joe Biden has done rather than push new gun-rights reforms of his own. He also said Congress is unlikely to pass significant new legislation but will be able to confirm a lot of pro-gun judges--though, he noted the GOP majority may be more fragile than it appears at first glance. Special Guest: Dave Weigel. -
Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I break down new gun polling data from Gallup showing a massive decrease in support for a handgun ban amongst Democrats. We also unpack Gallup data showing a shrinking gender gap, but a widening partisan gap, among gun owners. Finally, we wrap up with a pair of significant gun-related state Supreme Court rulings out of Pennsylvania and Iowa dealing with state preemption and the ability to restrict gun rights for persons with a history of being involuntarily committed.
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This week, we have a new Senate Majority Leader and are getting a clearer picture of what the next Congress will look like. But what will it do on gun policy?
To answer that question, we have one of the preeminent congressional reporters on the show. Punchbowl co-founder John Bresnahan has been covering Congress for decades now. He knows all of the key players in Congress, including new Majority Leader John Thune.
Bresnahan said Thune had the strongest pro-gun record of the three Senators who ran for the majority leader role. He said John Cornyn's role in negotiating the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act hurt him in the race and may even have made the difference since it was a very close vote. He argued the entire Republican Senate leadership is strongly pro-gun now.
Still, Bresnahan doesn't necessarily believe there are going to be a lot of opportunities for pro-gun legislation in the next Congress. With a 53-vote majority and the filibuster likely to remain, there probably aren't any significant gun bills that can make it to President Donald Trump's desk.
However, there are other ways Congress could have a big impact on gun policy over the next eight years. He said the longest-lasting impact will likely come from judicial appointments, and he noted the GOP will probably control confirmations for all eight years of Trump's term. Special Guest: John Bresnahan. -
Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover a significant new ruling out of Illinois, where a federal judge found that the state's ban on so-called assault weapons and large-capacity magazines is unconstitutional. We also cover the growing chorus of voices calling on President-elect Trump to dismantle President Biden's Office of Gun Violence Prevention, with the gun industry's trade group formally making the request this week. Finally, we mention the Senate Republican caucus' selection of South Dakota's John Thune for Majority Leader and what that says about gun policy.
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We have the topline election results, but we don't know everything for sure yet. Many House and some Senate races have yet to be called.
Still, what we do have is enough to give us a pretty good idea of what will be possible for gun policy under the new Republican Federal trifecta led by Donald Trump. That's why we've brought back Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms to help dissect what's likely from what's possible.
Cam said if the Republican Senate majority lands somewhere between 52 and 53, as it seems likely to, and they hold an equally slim House majority, there is little reason to think major gun bills are coming in the near future. Although, he also agreed the larger the Senate majority, the greater the odds Republicans nuke the filibuster and open up more legislative possibilities--even if he doesn't like the idea or think it's likely to happen.
Instead, Cam said the biggest movement on gun policy is likely to come through executive branch action. He predicted Trump would follow through on promises to undo the rules President Joe Biden has enacted, such as the pistol-brace and "ghost gun" bans. Same for firing Biden's ATF Director.
Cam was less certain about how far Trump might go with appointing a new director or pursuing his own pro-gun rules. He argued judicial appointments are likely to be the most impactful moves Trump will make when it comes to gun policy. He said Trump may end up appointing several more Supreme Court Justices, who will serve for decades.
Then, Cam gives his view on Trump's wild card nature and whether that could actually lead to some new gun restrictions as well. Or whether he's given up on trying to make any kind of deal with Democrats after the past four years.
Free Dispatch trial here: https://thedispatch.com/join-offer-reload/?utmsource=thereload&utmmedium=partnerships-podcast&utm_campaign=0924 Special Guest: Cam Edwards. -
Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I breakdown what we know so far about the results of the 2024 election, including the likely balance of power in Congress. We cover what that might mean for gun policy and how the national gun groups did in influencing that outcome with their election spending. We also cover a couple of key gun-related down ballot races that broke in favor of gun-control advocates and discussed why guns likely played a marginal role this cycle.
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The election is just days away. In fact, it's the day after this episode is released to the public.
The time to cover the daily developments on the campaign trail is over. Now, it's time to look ahead at what the realistic expectations on gun policy should be for a potential Trump or Harris administration. To do that, I've brought somebody from an outlet on nearly the opposite side of the spectrum from The Reload.
Jennifer Mascia has been a reporter at The Trace, a non-profit publication with ties to Everytown for Gun Safety, since it was founded. She is well-sourced inside the gun-control movement and closely follows gun politics news. She joins the show to help suss out the most likely policies Trump or Harris would pursue and by what means.
Mascia and I agreed legislation is the least likely area for change since Republicans are likely to gain a Senate majority regardless of who wins the presidency--but only a narrow majority. Instead, the real action will be in court appointments and executive actions. There, Harris may be more restrained by both a Republican Senate and the amount of gun action President Joe Biden has already undertaken. Trump is likely to continue judicial appointments in line with his first term while potentially firing the ATF Director Biden appointed and undoing his executive actions, though it's hard to say how far he'd expand beyond that.
Free Dispatch trial here: https://thedispatch.com/join-offer-reload/?utmsource=thereload&utmmedium=partnerships-podcast&utm_campaign=0924 Special Guest: Jennifer Mascia. -
Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover the big races where the national gun groups are pouring their money into before polls close on election night. We also discuss an interesting new ruling upholding Washington DC’s magazine ban on unique grounds. We wrap up by covering Kamala Harris’ recent comments in a podcast appearance attempting to cast Donald Trump as a threat to the Second Amendment.
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This week, we're discussing the final fundraising numbers we're going to see from the gun groups ahead of the election.
To do that, we've got Hot Air's Ed Morrissey back on the show. He said he isn't surprised to see the gun-control groups outraising the NRA and its allies. He argued it would probably take several more cycles for former NRA donors to be comfortable enough to give to the movement again.
He was skeptical the money advantage will translate to a big electoral advantage at the end of the day, especially in the highest profile races. And he said gun-control ads leaning on abortion issues, while potentially understandable, is a sign the groups don't think gun control is a top priority. Although, he also said the ability of the gun-control groups to spend big in local and state races could have a significant impact.
He also gave his view of the effectiveness of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's gun messaging in 2024, which was different from the views outlined by our previous guests, David French and Tim Miller. While neither Ed nor I make endorsements of candidates, we did briefly discuss our differing views of the dangers of either candidate.
Free Dispatch trial here: https://thedispatch.com/join-offer-reload/?utmsource=thereload&utmmedium=partnerships-podcast&utm_campaign=0924 Special Guest: Ed Morrissey. -
Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover a pair of resurfaced clips from Kamala Harris’ tenure as San Francisco DA that show her taking a more pragmatic view of the Second Amendment and school security policy. We also discuss how party control of the House of Representatives next year could come down to a race in Maine where an incumbent Democrat’s new support for an assault weapon ban could cost him his seat. We finish the show with a round-up of stories dealing with an investigation into gunmakers sharing gun owners’ private data with political operatives, a Democratic Senate candidate’s range day campaign event going awry, and how the Second Circuit has again ruled on New York’s concealed carry restrictions.
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This week, we unfortunately have to talk about a story that comes with a content warning.
News of NRA CEO Doug Hamlin's involvement in the torture and killing of a cat during college resurfaced on Monday. Hamlin has denied "direct" involvement, but contemporaneous reporting indicates his role was more than ancillary. Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms joins the show to work out what this all means for the already-battered NRA.
Cam said the story is gruesome and will make it difficult for Hamlin to effectively reform the organization as he's said he wants to. But he also argued it may not stick to the NRA for longer than Hamlin is around, especially given the lightning-quick nature of the modern news cycle.
He also said the animal cruelty story may have had an impact on the group canceling its Georgia event with Donald Trump, but that might also be part of a broader trend of Trump canceling events. Still, he said the scandal is likely to hurt the NRA's efforts to rebound from its previous CEO's, as yet unsettled, corruption scandal. And it's becoming increasingly clear how much that's put them at a disadvantage against the gun-control groups when it comes to political spending.
We also discuss Elon Musk's recent pro-gun turn and whether he could become a counter to Michael Bloomberg's funding of gun-control groups.
Free Dispatch trial here: https://thedispatch.com/join-offer-reload/?utmsource=thereload&utmmedium=partnerships-podcast&utm_campaign=0924 Special Guest: Cam Edwards. - Daha fazla göster
