Jonah Patel
During his 2023 reelection campaign, Donald Trump promised to sign concealed carry reciprocity legislation if he won a second term in office. This would allow gun owners with a concealed carry permit from one state to carry their weapons in other states. Trump's intention to loosen gun control laws is supported by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other pro-Second Amendment groups, who advocate for constitutional carry, which would allow individuals who can legally possess guns to carry concealed firearms without a permit. However, Trump's pledge has been criticised by gun control groups, who call it a threat to public safety.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Constitutional carry | Refers to allowing individuals who can legally possess guns to carry concealed firearms without needing a permit |
| Support | NRA and other pro-Second Amendment groups |
| Opposition | Democrats and groups that advocate for gun control |
| Trump's intention | To change the law so that a gun owner with a concealed carry permit from one state can legally carry their weapons in other states |
| Current status | In 2017, during Trump's first presidency, House Republicans passed the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, before it stalled in the Senate |
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What You'll Learn
- Trump's pledge to enact the concealed carry policy in his second term
- Gun control groups call national reciprocity a threat to public safety
- The NRA's official policy goes further than Trump's promises
- Trump's promise to make concealed carry permits valid across state lines
- Trump's intention to loosen gun control laws through executive action
Trump's pledge to enact the concealed carry policy in his second term
In his 2023 speech, Donald Trump pledged to sign "concealed carry reciprocity" legislation if he won a second term in office. This policy would allow gun owners with a concealed carry permit from one state to carry their weapons in other states. This would enable gun owners to carry their weapons across state lines, even in states with strict gun laws such as California and New York.
Trump's proposal represents a significant shift in national gun policy and has been criticised by gun control advocacy groups such as Everytown for Gun Safety. They wrote on Instagram, "Trump's vision for America: Guns everywhere, for anyone, with no questions asked." Trump's proposal has also been criticised for potentially endangering public safety and making it more difficult to enforce state laws.
However, Trump's proposal has garnered strong support from pro-gun organisations and groups such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the National Association for Gun Rights. The NRA's official policy goes even further than Trump's proposal, advocating for "'constitutional carry', which would allow individuals who can legally possess guns to carry concealed firearms without a permit.
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Gun control groups call national reciprocity a threat to public safety
Gun control groups have called national reciprocity "a threat to public safety" and have pledged to fight the legislation. They argue that loosening gun control laws will lead to an increase in gun violence, which is already a significant issue in the United States.
National reciprocity, or "concealed carry reciprocity," refers to a policy that would require states to recognize concealed carry firearm permits issued by other states. In other words, if someone has a permit to carry a concealed weapon in one state, they would be allowed to carry that weapon in any other state, regardless of that state's gun laws. This policy has been supported by former President Donald Trump, the National Rifle Association (NRA), and other pro-Second Amendment groups.
Trump has long campaigned on a pro-gun platform and has received an endorsement from the NRA all three times he has run for president. During his first term, he promised to loosen gun control laws through executive action and replace officials who support gun control. In a 2023 speech, Trump stated, "I will protect the right of self-defense everywhere it is under siege. And I will sign concealed carry reciprocity. Your Second Amendment does not end at the state line."
Gun safety groups, such as Everytown for Gun Safety and Giffords, have criticized Trump's pledge to enact the concealed carry policy if he won a second term. They argue that Trump's policies would lead to a rollback of the firearm regulations enacted by President Biden and expand gun rights at the expense of public safety. Mass shootings are on the rise in the U.S., with more than 455 of them across the country in 2024 alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Despite this, Trump has promised to undo Biden's gun control policies, stating, "In my second term, we will roll back every Biden attack on the Second Amendment."
While gun rights advocates celebrate national reciprocity as a major victory for civil rights, gun control groups remain steadfast in their opposition, claiming that it poses a significant threat to public safety.
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The NRA's official policy goes further than Trump's promises
The National Rifle Association (NRA) has long been a supporter of Trump's presidential campaigns. In 2019, the NRA stated that Trump was "proving worthy" of their support, and that he was keeping his promises to gun owners. Trump has promised to undo President Joe Biden's gun control policies, and to appoint gun-friendly judges to federal courts.
Trump, meanwhile, has promised to sign "concealed carry reciprocity" legislation if he won a second term. This would allow gun owners with a concealed carry permit from one state to legally carry their weapons in other states. Trump has also signalled that he intends to loosen gun control laws through executive action, and by replacing the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Trump's support for the NRA and its policies is clear. In a speech to the NRA, he said, "We’re going to do things like nobody can believe... We’re under siege with the guns, the rifles, and everything else. We’re under siege. But they didn’t move us an inch, and we have to stand strong."
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Trump's promise to make concealed carry permits valid across state lines
During his 2024 election campaign, Donald Trump promised to sign "concealed carry reciprocity" legislation if he won a second term in office. The policy would allow gun owners with a concealed carry permit from one state to legally carry their weapons in other states. In a 2023 speech, Trump stated:
> I will protect the right of self-defense everywhere it is under siege. And I will sign concealed carry reciprocity. Your second amendment does not end at the state line.
Trump's proposal would make concealed carry permits valid across state lines, much like how a state driver's license works. This would streamline the patchwork of varying laws and standards across the country, as each state has largely determined its own scheme for regulating the carrying of firearms. Currently, thirty-eight states require gun owners to obtain a state-issued permit before they can lawfully carry a concealed weapon in public, while a dozen states require no permit at all. States also have traditionally decided for themselves whether to honor out-of-state permits, a legal concept known as "reciprocity."
Gun rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), support Trump's proposal, arguing that it would be a major victory for civil rights. The NRA's official policy goes even further than Trump's promise, advocating for "constitutional carry," which would allow individuals who can legally possess guns to carry concealed firearms without needing a permit. On the other hand, gun control groups oppose the legislation, calling it "a threat to public safety." They argue that loosening concealed carry laws will increase gun violence and make it more challenging to enforce state laws that save lives.
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Trump's intention to loosen gun control laws through executive action
During his first term as president, Donald Trump took several steps to loosen gun control laws. In 2019, Trump endorsed a new reciprocity law as part of his gun rights platform, which could have dismantled local gun-carrying restrictions in states with tight gun control laws, such as New York, New Jersey, Maryland, California, and Hawaii.
Trump also narrowed the definition of "fugitives from justice" in the federal background check system, making it easier for people with outstanding arrest warrants to purchase guns. The Trump administration removed almost 500,000 records of people flagged as "fugitives from justice" from the system, and as of July 2024, only about 1,000 entries had been restored. Trump's proposed budget would also slash funding that helps states upload records to the background check system, making it less likely that these records will be replaced.
Trump rolled back a rule that allowed the Social Security Administration to provide information to the national background check system about individuals with severe mental illness. He also designated the firearms industry as essential during the pandemic to protect gun stores, shooting ranges, and ammunition dealers from being shut down.
In February 2025, Trump signed an executive order directing the Attorney General to review all actions by the Biden administration regarding firearms and deliver a plan of action to eliminate all infringements on Americans' Second Amendment rights. This order may lead to the federal government ceasing to defend certain firearm regulations in court.
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Frequently asked questions
Constitutional carry is a policy that would allow individuals who can legally possess guns to carry concealed firearms without needing a permit.
During his 2023 campaign speech, Trump promised to sign the "concealed carry reciprocity" legislation if he won a second term in office. He said, "I will protect the right of self-defense everywhere it is under siege. And I will sign concealed carry reciprocity. Your second amendment does not end at the state line."
In 2017, during Trump's first presidency, House Republicans passed the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, but it stalled in the Senate. The legislation is expected to face opposition in the Senate, where Republicans lack the votes needed to break a Democratic filibuster.
The NRA and other pro-Second Amendment groups support loosening concealed carry laws nationwide. They argue that it is a fundamental right to self-defense that does not stop at state borders.
Gun control groups have criticized the legislation, calling it "a threat to public safety." They argue that it would lead to a situation where "guns are everywhere, for anyone, with no questions asked."
