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Division of Justice officers have had a number of inside conferences about placing limitations on transgender folks’s means to buy firearms, Fox Information Digital has realized.
The DOJ officers’ conversations are in an early stage and no concrete steps have been taken, in line with conversations with a number of sources.
However the discussions surrounding two hotly contested points for Republicans — preserving Second Modification rights and tightening insurance policies associated to transgender folks — are occurring.
One supply pointed to a “sample” of shootings carried out by transgender folks, together with the current tragedy at a Catholic Church in Minnesota. Robin Westman, who was named Robert by means of 2019, killed two kids and injured greater than a dozen others earlier than dying by suicide. Westman’s firearms had been bought legally, in line with the Related Press.
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Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi seems throughout a swearing-in ceremony within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, Might 6, 2025. (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures)
One other supply stated the DOJ’s discussions about banning transgender folks from shopping for or proudly owning weapons have concerned the Workplace of Authorized Counsel, which offers authorized recommendation to the chief department. The supply indicated that the DOJ officers are at the moment considering by means of a possible authorized framework. Such discussions would possible rope within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which is a part of the DOJ and has authority over federal guidelines associated to firearms.
When requested concerning the talks, a DOJ spokesperson downplayed the discussions focusing on transgender folks, telling Fox Information the division has been analyzing quite a few choices to deal with the correlation between shootings and psychological well being however that it has not provide you with something particular.
“The DOJ is actively evaluating choices to stop the sample of violence we have now seen from people with particular psychological well being challenges and substance abuse problems,” the spokesperson stated. “No particular prison justice proposals have been superior presently.”
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A youngster, seen from behind, holding a transgender pleasure flag towards the blue sky (iStock)
One of many sources stated DOJ officers “are reviewing methods to make sure that mentally ailing people affected by gender dysphoria are unable to acquire firearms whereas they’re unstable and unwell.”
Folks with psychological well being circumstances are sometimes not banned from buying weapons underneath present legal guidelines, which the Supreme Court docket reaffirmed as just lately as 2024 in United States v. Rahimi.
However in some situations, equivalent to a court docket deeming somebody mentally incompetent, that info is meant to crop up throughout a background verify and block a buyer from acquiring a gun license.
Gun rights advocates had been fast to reply to phrase of the DOJ’s efforts to seek out methods to limit transgender folks from shopping for or proudly owning weapons.
The Firearms Coverage Coalition threatened to sue if the DOJ’s conversations materialized into concrete coverage proposals.
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AR-15 model rifles are displayed on the market at a gun retailer. (REUTERS/Bing Guan)
“If the Trump Administration — or any administration — unwisely and immorally chooses to wield the pressure of presidency in battle with the Structure, federal legislation, or our values, FPC will take aggressive motion to defend the rights of peaceful folks, simply as we have now many instances earlier than,” the group stated in a press release.
The Firearms Coverage Coalition’s said mission is to “get rid of bans on constitutionally protected arms, carry in public, the private manufacture of weapons, and non-dangerous authorized adults.”
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The DOJ’s actions align with Trump’s string of govt actions when he took workplace that had been designed to alter insurance policies relating to transgender folks. The president stated in his orders that solely two sexes existed, female and male; that individuals with gender dysphoria can not serve within the navy; and that college students would violate Title IX in the event that they competed in sports activities unique to their reverse intercourse.
Fox Information reached out to the White Home for touch upon the DOJ floating the concept of banning transgender folks from buying weapons.
Fox Information’ David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this story.
