President Trump has overturned Biden’s “zero tolerance” gun policy that destroyed hundreds of legitimate firearms businesses across America, reinstating Second Amendment protections for law-abiding dealers targeted over minor paperwork errors.
Key Takeaways
- The Trump administration has rescinded the Biden-era “zero tolerance” policy that led to a 16-year high in gun store license revocations
- Biden’s ATF targeted over 300 federally licensed firearm dealers for minor clerical errors, often destroying their livelihoods
- Justice Department under Harmeet Dhillon is now treating the Second Amendment as a civil rights issue
- The DOJ has launched investigations into local authorities suspected of violating citizens’ constitutional right to bear arms
Trump Administration Dismantles Biden’s Gun Store Crackdown
The Department of Justice under President Trump has officially ended a controversial Biden administration policy that weaponized federal agencies against lawful gun dealers across the nation. The “zero tolerance” policy, implemented by Biden’s ATF, created a regulatory environment where federally licensed firearm dealers faced license revocations for minor paperwork infractions rather than substantial violations. This policy shift led to the highest number of gun store closures in 16 years, with hundreds of legitimate business owners losing their livelihoods over technical errors that posed no risk to public safety.
“For years, the Zero Tolerance Policy has been a tool of political retribution—targeting gun stores and Americans who were simply trying to exercise their rights,” said Gun Owners of America (GOA) Senior Vice President Erich Pratt. “We applaud President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, and Director Kash Patel for listening to gun owners and taking action to repeal this abusive policy. This is what pro-gun leadership looks like.”
The Biden administration’s approach effectively transformed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) into an instrument for backdoor gun control. Under the guise of enforcement, ATF agents conducted raids and investigations on more than 300 law-abiding Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders, often for inconsequential record-keeping mistakes that had nothing to do with illegal firearms transfers or criminal activity. This excessive regulatory burden created a climate of fear among legitimate gun dealers and restricted Americans’ access to firearms through legal channels.
Real Business Owners Devastated by Biden’s Policy
The human cost of Biden’s zero tolerance approach was substantial, with many small business owners losing everything. Tennessee gun store owner J.C. Harrison was among those who saw their livelihoods destroyed by the policy. His business, which represented his family’s sole source of income, was shuttered over minor paperwork issues despite no history of illegal sales or criminal conduct. The devastating impact on families like Harrison’s highlights the punitive nature of the previous administration’s approach toward legal gun ownership and commerce.
“This was an attack on the Second Amendment through the back door,” he said. “My wife and I, this was our sole income, and it’s not anymore.”
The revocation of the zero tolerance policy is just one component of a broader Trump administration effort to restore and strengthen Second Amendment protections. The President has already abolished the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which many Second Amendment advocates viewed as an unconstitutional mechanism for promoting gun control initiatives. These decisive actions demonstrate the administration’s commitment to treating firearm ownership as a fundamental constitutional right rather than a privilege to be restricted through bureaucratic overreach.
Second Amendment Elevated to Civil Rights Status
In a significant philosophical shift, the Justice Department under Civil Rights Division head Harmeet Dhillon is now treating Second Amendment issues as civil rights matters. This approach represents a fundamental reframing of gun ownership in America, placing it alongside other protected constitutional freedoms that deserve federal protection against infringement by state and local governments. This elevation of Second Amendment rights to civil rights status signals a profound change in how the federal government approaches gun regulations nationwide.
“The Second Amendment is one of the constitutional rights we are committed to defending,” Dhillon said. “We’re adding that to our analysis where states are violating constitutional rights.”
The Justice Department has already launched an investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department regarding excessive delays in issuing concealed carry permits. This investigation examines whether local authorities are deliberately obstructing citizens’ constitutional right to bear arms through unnecessary procedural hurdles. Similar investigations may follow in other jurisdictions where restrictive local policies effectively deny Americans their Second Amendment rights despite Supreme Court rulings affirming individual gun ownership rights. This proactive approach signals the administration’s willingness to challenge local restrictions that infringe upon constitutional freedoms.
