Members’ Newsletter: Analyzing the New DOJ 2A Civil Rights Section

This week noticed the launch of a brand new part contained in the Division of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division. It’s devoted to pursuing Second Modification instances and represents probably the most concrete pro-gun strikes of the second Trump Administration.

Not less than, we expect that occurred this week. Reuters reported the part was set to return on-line Thursday, however that day got here and went with none phrase from the DOJ. Legal professional Common Pam Bondi (R.) finally tweeted an obvious affirmation that the workplace is actual on Friday, however the DOJ has been fairly mum on the entire affair. Contributing Author Jake Fogleman takes a have a look at what we all know to find out the important thing takeaways.

In the meantime, we noticed proof in final month’s gross sales knowledge that politics can certainly nonetheless drive gun gross sales. Regardless of a nationwide downturn in gun-sales-related background checks, Virginians flocked to their native gun shops within the wake of their 2025 elections. I talk about what to make of all of it, even past the clear affirmation of how elections can impression firearms demand.

Plus, Ashley Hlebinsky of the College of Wyoming’s Firearms Analysis Heart joins the podcast to debate their new $1 million grant to develop a Second Modification historical past course for American excessive schoolers.

Evaluation: What to Make of New DOJ Second Modification Part [Member Exclusive]By Jake Fogleman

The Division of Justice (DOJ) has introduced plans to create the first-ever devoted Second Modification part inside the company’s Civil Rights Division. However so far, the company hasn’t been too keen to speak about it, and the reported rollout date for the brand new part to start operations has already come and gone with none motion.

Officers from the DOJ solely publicly confirmed the existence of the deliberate part for the primary time on Friday evening after greater than per week of media studies.

“The 2nd Modification is just not a second-class proper. After the prior administration’s marketing campaign to infringe on Individuals’ gun rights, the Justice Division is strongly dedicated to undoing the harm,” Legal professional Common Pam Bondi (R.) wrote in a social media publish. “This unit inside our Civil Rights Division will advance President Trump’s pro-2nd Modification agenda and defend the proper to bear arms for all.”

Particulars in regards to the transfer had been first reported by Reuters final week, although the plans for the brand new entity seem to have been months within the making. In a September interview with an alumni publication for her alma mater, Assistant Legal professional Common and chief of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon introduced that plans for the brand new part had been already within the works as early as this summer season.

In keeping with planning paperwork supplied to Congress and obtained by Reuters, the proposed new part can be tasked primarily with “investigating native legal guidelines or insurance policies limiting gun rights,” and it might perform that work “utilizing present funds and personnel.” The paperwork additionally recognized December 4th as the brand new part’s anticipated opening date.

Nonetheless, the DOJ has but to formally announce the brand new part past Bondi’s social media publish, and it stays absent from the Civil Rights Division’s group web page. The DOJ additionally has not responded to The Reload’s requests for touch upon particulars in regards to the new division.

But whereas the logistics and begin date of the part stay murky, the promise of such a transfer for gun-rights advocates is self-evident. The symbolic worth alone of getting an institutionalized arm of the world’s largest regulation workplace devoted to pursuing its pursuits throughout the nation is an achievement. It stands in distinction to the unprecedented actions taken by the prior administration to elevate gun-control pursuits right into a since-disbanded executive-level workplace.

Not like the Biden administration’s Workplace of Gun Violence Prevention, nevertheless, a brand new Second Modification part below the Civil Rights Division would have energetic enforcement authority. That might translate to actual upside for gun-rights advocates. The Civil Rights Division has already proven a willingness to flex its muscular tissues towards progressive jurisdictions seen as violating the gun rights of their respective residents.

In March, it launched a first-of-its-kind “sample or follow” investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division for its gradual processing of hid handgun license purposes. Merging that case-by-case intervention right into a centralized physique with a singular mission ought to create higher alternatives for oversight and enforcement actions throughout extra jurisdictions. That’s actually the place expectations look like among the many gun coverage neighborhood, as evidenced by the fanfare and controversy mere studies of the brand new division have generated up to now.

After all, there are additionally severe caveats to contemplate.

The DOJ’s lack of transparency up to now in regards to the new part means we simply don’t understand how formidable the brand new plans are or what they’ll appear to be in follow. There’s little motive to doubt the veracity of the studies from Reuters, significantly contemplating Assistant Legal professional Common Dhillon’s previous public feedback. However the truth that the reorganization will doubtless happen with none further funding or personnel raises the likelihood that the transfer will quantity to little greater than slapping a brand new title on the identical work we’ve already seen.

And at last, there’s motive to query the endurance of the brand new part and its work. What could be created via a unilateral reorganization can be disbanded via the identical means below a subsequent administration. Simply have a look at the unceremonious dismantling of the White Home Workplace of Gun Violence Prevention from earlier this 12 months.

In the end, the mere existence of a devoted federal civil rights workplace centered on the Second Modification is a crucial achievement for the gun-rights motion. However with out extra formal indications from the DOJ concerning its launch, staffing, and technique, it’s troublesome to say whether or not it’ll quantity to extra substance than flash.

Podcast: How the Firearms Analysis Heart Plans to Use $1 Million Federal Grant on a 2A Historical past Course (ft. Ashley Hlebinsky) [Member Early Access]By Stephen Gutowski

This week, we’re taking a deep dive into the brand new Second Modification historical past course that the Division of Schooling simply granted funding.

To offer us perception into what the College of Wyoming’s Firearms Analysis Heart, which obtained the grant, hopes to perform, now we have Ashley Hlebinsky again on the present. She is the Government Director of the middle, wrote the grant request, and will likely be one of many fundamental individuals overseeing improvement of the academic sources.

She mentioned the objective of the challenge is to not impart a partisan view of the Second Modification or weapons onto college students, however, fairly, to provide educators entry to main sources and students from various viewpoints. She mentioned the grant course of was something however political, and insisted the course supplies can be as properly.

Hlebinsky mentioned the plan is to develop a digital archive of historic paperwork associated to the creation and ratification of the Second Modification, in addition to the state and federal gun legal guidelines which have come since that point. She mentioned the middle would develop video classes that could possibly be used for trainer schooling or classroom instruction. The academics may even have entry to webinars that includes Second Modification students and the chance to attend an in-person convention.

The course materials will likely be out there to secondary faculty academics nationwide. Nonetheless, it gained’t be a compulsory course. As an alternative, it’s an opt-in instructing useful resource supposed to assist enhance civics schooling through the nation’s 250th anniversary.

You possibly can hearken to the present in your favourite podcasting app or by clicking right here. Video of the episode is accessible on our YouTube channel. An auto-generated transcript is accessible right here. Reload Members get entry on Sunday, as all the time. Everybody else can hear on Monday.

Plus, Contributing Author Jake Fogleman and I element the most recent month-to-month gun gross sales knowledge, which confirmed Black Friday did not juice gun gross sales because it has in recent times. We additionally cowl the response from gun-rights teams to the Division of Justice’s new devoted Second Modification workplace in its Civil Rights Division. Plus, I chat with a Reload subscriber in a brand new member phase.

Audio right here. Video right here.

Evaluation: Politics Show Potent Propellant for Gun Gross sales As soon as Once more [Member Exclusive]By Stephen Gutowski

Background checks on gun purchases had been down once more final month, besides within the one state the place the power driving individuals to their native vendor was apparent: the 2025 election.

Whereas the variety of gun-sales-related checks the FBI ran via the Nationwide Instantaneous Felony Background Verify System (NICS) in November was down seven p.c in comparison with final 12 months, Virginia’s share of these gross sales shot up. The state, which is the Twelfth-largest within the nation, jumped into the highest 5 in total gross sales checks and checks for lengthy gun gross sales. The spike got here instantly after Democrats gained a decisive victory in November’s off-year election.

Virginia hadn’t been within the prime 5 for gun gross sales checks all 12 months, however demand surged in the identical month Democrats captured full management of the state authorities. That’s a transparent signal that the specter of new gun restrictions, which Democrats have pursued in useless throughout the previous couple of years, pushed Virginians to go on a shopping for spree.

“November’s adjusted NICS background examine figures are following the tendencies we’ve seen all 12 months lengthy,” Mark Oliva, a spokesman for the Nationwide Taking pictures Sports activities Basis, the trade group that carried out the NICS evaluation, mentioned in an announcement. “Notably attention-grabbing is that background checks in Virginia broke into the High 5, which could be simply attributed to issues that law-abiding gun homeowners there have with their potential to buy the firearm of their selection earlier than an incoming legislature and governor strip that selection away.”

Virginia’s spike is similar to the one Colorado skilled again in Could. Within the aftermath of the state legislature adopting a permit-to-possess regulation for AR-15s and comparable firearms, the state jumped into the highest 5 for sales-related NICS checks. That surge was much more exceptional since Colorado is barely the twenty first most populous state.

However the takeaway is identical in each states: Worry of recent restrictions nonetheless drives gun gross sales.

Individuals will nonetheless exit and purchase weapons in the event that they assume there’s a powerful chance they gained’t give you the chance to take action within the close to future. That clearly isn’t the one motivatior and even the highest one since Individuals constantly inform pollsters self-defense is the primary motive they purchase weapons. However it’s the motivator that tends to drive sharp will increase in gross sales.

However these gross sales spikes are unlikely to supply a lot consolation to the gun trade. Whereas politics has pushed surges for brief durations in just a few states over the previous few years, it hasn’t pushed a sustained nationwide uptick in half a decade. With low client confidence, rising price of dwelling, and little perceived risk of recent nationwide gun bans below Donald Trump and a Republican Congress, there’s not a lot motive to count on the general downward pattern in gross sales to vary anytime quickly.

Moreover, the truth that gun homeowners solely appear to answer the specter of new restrictions by shopping for within the aftermath of the election fairly than exhibiting as much as vote for pro-gun candidates ought to bother gun-rights activists. Both that or the motivation of recent bans isn’t sufficient to beat different political issues for sufficient voters to make a noticeable distinction. In spite of everything, the selection on gun coverage in Virginia was clear and stark, however the election was a blowout at each the gubernatorial and Home ranges.

Regardless of the final motive, the impact stays. Concern over new bans remains to be driving individuals to the gun retailer in noticeable numbers in 2025, however the identical can’t be mentioned for the voting sales space.

The 2026 midterms are the following large take a look at for the salience of gun politics. Will the distinction between the events on gun coverage drive gun homeowners to the polls? If not, will a great day for Democrats drive them to the shops?

That’s it for now.

I’ll discuss to you all once more quickly.

Thanks,Stephen GutowskiFounderThe Reload