As the 2024 Presidential election heats up, Republican nominees Donald Trump and J.D. Vance face off against Democratic contenders Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the fight for the Presidential and Vice-Presidential offices.
The Second Amendment is front and center as each side brings a distinct perspective to the table – one rooted in personal beliefs and political history. With all the noise surrounding guns, it can be tough to wade through voting records, legislation, and campaign promises.
So, we did the heavy lifting for you with a nonpartisan look at where each contender stands on the topic of guns.
Keep reading to get the info you need to know to hit the polls in November.
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Donald Trump
Donald Trump burst onto the political scene in 2016, clinching the title of 45th President. Love him or hate him, his time in office showcased a complex relationship with guns.
In 2017, he signed off on a bump stock ban following a mass shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas – a move that raised eyebrows among pro-gun advocates. After a series of shootings in 2019 in Ohio and Texas, he also openly advocated for red flag laws.
“We must make sure that those judged to pose a grave risk to public safety do not have access to firearms and that if they do, those firearms can be taken through rapid due process,” Trump said in a televised address to the nation. “That is why I have called for red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders.”
On the other hand, he reversed an Obama-era regulation that made it tougher for individuals with mental illnesses to purchase guns. Throughout his presidency, Trump adamantly maintained his position as a supporter of the Second Amendment and resisted calls for more stringent gun laws.
As he gears up for another shot at the Oval Office, Trump has emphasized that he will remain a protector of the Second Amendment. At the Great American Outdoor Show earlier this year, he told spectators, “During my four years, nothing happened, and there was great pressure on me having to do with guns. We did nothing; we didn’t yield.”
He further promised that if elected, “no one will lay a finger on your firearms,” going as far as to pledge to appoint federal judges who oppose gun control measures.
Trump followed that with an appearance at the National Rifle Association’s Annual Meeting in May, where he proclaimed that gun rights are “under siege,” vowing to roll back Biden-era gun restrictions.
Trump is endorsed by the NRA.
JD Vance
In July 2024, Trump tapped junior Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) as his Vice President pick. Vance, a former U.S. Marine and Yale Law School graduate, has been a firm Second Amendment supporter with a track record to back it – even opposing Trump’s own policies.
He was vocal about his opposition to the Trump-era bump stock ban and called for the abolishment of the ATF. He stood against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and has adamantly challenged universal background checks and red flag laws – the latter he’s called a “slippery slope” toward greater government overreach.
In the Senate, Vance co-sponsored several bills designed to protect gun rights. These included bills that would remove suppressors from the National Firearms Act, override the Biden Administration’s “zero tolerance” on gun dealers, and allow concealed carry permits to be recognized across state lines.
Vance actively opposes pistol brace bans and rejects any movement towards tougher gun legislation.
“We need to fix the system we have that has problems as opposed to layering on a bunch of new regulations and laws on top of it,” Vance said during a debate with Rep. Tim Ryan. “The thing that I don’t like is when you create a new background check system with new sets of regulations that go after law-abiding citizens.”
Vance’s stance has earned him an endorsement from the NRA.
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris has worn many hats during her career — San Francisco District Attorney, California Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and current Vice President. But one thing has remained the same, her firm stance on gun control.
Her journey began as the District Attorney of San Francisco, where she advocated for mandatory gun lock laws as well as threw her support behind Washington D.C.’s gun ban in a Supreme Court brief for the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller case.
As California Attorney General, she oversaw the expansion of programs that seized firearms from prohibited gun owners and fought to uphold the state’s 10-day waiting periods on gun purchases. She also implemented California’s microstamping law which was designed to help trace bullets back to firearms that fired them — a technology that was not and is still not viable. Harris also played a key role in defending Peruta v. San Diego – a case that challenged may-issue policies for concealed carry permits.
During her tenure in the Senate, she co-sponsored a bevy of gun control bills, including an assault weapons ban, expanded background checks on all gun transfers, and regulation of guns as a public health crisis. She also pushed for gun lock mandates and outlawed the digital publication of firearm manufacturing plans for 3D printing.
Harris campaigned for the presidency in 2020, promising to implement tougher gun laws, such as expanded background checks and eliminating legal protections from lawsuits for gun makers. During the presidential primary, she even mentioned support for a “mandatory gun buyback program” for assault weapons. (She later pivoted and said she no longer held that position.)
Though Harris lost the Democratic bid to Joe Biden, she joined Biden as his running mate and earned the Vice Presidency. As Vice President, Harris stood up and oversaw the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The office worked to implement executive and legislative action around guns and drive policy efforts, even inviting police chiefs from around the nation to talk about bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Now, as Harris campaigns for the presidency, she’s reasserted her commitment towards tougher gun laws, pledging to pass red flag laws, enact universal background checks, and implement an assault weapons ban.
Framing her campaign around protecting freedom, including “the freedom to be safe from gun violence,” she promised to champion laws that would keep Americans safe in her official launch video.
“We, who believe that every person should have the freedom to live safe from the terror of gun violence, will finally pass red flag laws, universal background checks, and an assault weapons ban.”
Her stance has earned her endorsements from Brady, Giffords, Everytown, and March for Our Lives.
Tim Walz
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, experienced a notable shift in his gun stance since taking public office.
A National Guard veteran, gun owner, and hunter, Walz previously held an “A” rating from the NRA during his time in Congress. He even signed a friend of the court brief supporting the 2008 Heller decision, which overturned Washington D.C.’s strict laws on handguns and recognized an individual’s right to own guns for defensive purposes.
However, Walz’s stance on guns began to change following the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. The tragedy prompted Walz to donate $18,000 he received from the NRA to a veteran’s charity.
His perspective shifted further a few months later when a gunman killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. Publicly backing an assault weapons ban, Walz began advocating for more expansive gun restrictions.
As Governor, Walz signed significant gun control measures into law, including legislation to expand background checks to include private party transfers, enact red flag laws, and increase penalties for straw purchases.
Walz’s journey from NRA ally to gun control advocate eventually earned him an “F” rating from the NRA.
“It’s true. I’m a veteran, a hunter, and a gun owner,” Walz tweeted last month. “But I’m also a dad. And for many years, I was a teacher. It’s about keeping our kids safe. I had an A rating from the NRA. Now I get straight F’s. And I sleep just fine.”
Final Thoughts
The candidates’ differing stances highlight the broader debate on gun control — a key issue that could sway voters in the upcoming election.
No matter where you stand on policy, one thing is certain…guns will be a hot topic moving into November.
What issues do you think will matter in the gun debate? Let us know in the comments below. For more news, check out our Gun News category or hop on over to Gun Laws to read the latest on gun laws.
10 Leave a Reply
What about RFK and his running mate?
Kamala Harris' campaign "informed" The NY Times about her changing this position; but she has not disavowed it in a press conference or any sort of "on camera" interview.
In 2019, she said: :"We have to have a buyback program, and I support a mandatory gun buyback program," Harris said. "It’s got to be smart, we got to do it the right way. But there are 5 million (assault weapons) at least, some estimate as many as 10 million, and we’re going to have to have smart public policy that’s about taking those off the streets, but doing it the right way", and that was said "on camera".
Until she says differently on camera, she shouldn't be trusted to have "changed her position".
Proud gun owner here, but I agree there should be some kind red flag laws AND stricter regulations for people that have mental illnesses. Other than that, don’t touch my guns and get rid of that 30.06 signs, except for schools.
“I can have all the guns I want but I support taking that right away from people whom the government seems dangerous.”
K.
So those that are mentally unstable and dangerous to themselves and others should have the ability to just commit murder? Ok, I guess habitual drunk drivers should still have a car by your logic.
Common sense applies to all aspects of life and there should be a balance that insures are rights while preventing tragedy.
Hate to call it out, but as a firearms enthusiast site, it’s not even a comparison. You should be unequivocally pro-2A. You know who wants to take our guns. Don’t be chickenisht by dancing around it or trying not to offend those who would violate your rights at first opportunity.
Thank you for reading and for dropping us a comment. We are very pro-2A -- all of us here own guns and live and breathe the community. We also believe our readers come to us for education, information, and facts. This article was never meant to be a political commentary. We don't do that here. We just take all the info out there and compile it so it's easy for our readers to draw their own conclusions. As a journalist, it's not my job to tell you what to think. It's my job to give you the facts and you can do with that what you will come November. There's plenty of other sites that do opinion and political commentary -- but that's not just us. Regardless, I really appreciate you taking the time to read it.
The positions on this issue are universal to ALL issues herewith. Freedom will always be a dirty business. It will never be perfect, but it is a far cry better than giving up your right to decide for yourself to people who most definitely have an agenda far different than they espouse publicly. If you don't understand that, you are part of the problem. As Ben Franklin exited the Continental Congress, he offered that the process had given us a Republic, to which he quickly added, "if you can keep it." And here we are again.
Literally my least concerning issue this election.
No matter where one stands on ALL of the issues, I’m perceiving a real sense of urgency in the upcoming elections, not only for the presidential race but for down ballot races, as well. Our nation is fractured as I’ve never seen it before and I’ve been around the block a few times. Having said all that, for the sake of the Republic, I sure hope my side is victorious,