Anti-gun activists won’t like that. According to a new report, gun sales have skyrocketed following the assassination of former President Donald Trump and the Democratic nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) reported that gun sales have remained at over one million per month since 2019, but are expected to stabilize by July 2024.
Gun sales were at historically high levels and had slowed from the previous month until the incident surrounding the nomination of Trump and Harris as the official Democratic presidential candidate. The Washington Examiner reported. The selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, an ardent supporter of gun restrictions, as Harris’s running mate has only heightened gun owners’ fears of federal action on firearms.
“Business picked up a few percentage points in late July and early August, and I think we can thank Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party for that,” said Justin Anderson, marketing director for Hyatt Guns in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The NSSF It is estimated that around 86,410,889 firearms have been sold in the past five years. This is a significant boost since Biden took office. There appears to be evidence that the attack on Trump may have contributed to the boost in gun purchases.
Matthew Miller, CEO of CashForArms.com, said:
While the incident itself sparked widespread anger, the days that followed were relatively peaceful thanks to an encouraging and unifying Republican convention. Since then, however, our customers have become increasingly suspicious of what happened that day.
Of course, Harris’s rise to become the new standard-bearer of the Democratic Party also had implications, as she opposed gun ownership. Anderson predicted that “a Kamala Harris presidency will include some sort of ‘assault weapons ban,'” and said, “This is the first time in many years that I can say that with confidence.”
The assassination attempt likely sparked fear of further politically motivated violence given the current political situation in the country. As with 9/11, when there was fear of further terrorist attacks, people may have been concerned about future assassination attempts against politicians or others. It is understandable that the shooting motivated people to arm themselves.
Moreover, the details of the shooting are cause for concern. The fact that the shooter was not stopped by intelligence and law enforcement, despite protesters warning of his presence on the roof of the building from which he opened fire, should further erode people’s trust in the government. After all, if they can’t protect a former president from a troubled 20-year-old, how are they going to protect us?
This, combined with still-high crime rates, would be more than enough to motivate people to get a gun for the first time or to add to their arsenal. The upcoming election could be crucial for gun rights, depending on how the makeup of the White House and Congress turns out. As the political climate becomes more uncertain, more and more people are realizing it’s high time to arm themselves, and that’s a positive development.
