Trump Releases Second Policy Announcement Of Campaign, Supports Second Amendment

Donald Trump has always been a supporter of the Second Amendment, but his latest announcement may surprise some who have doubted his conservatism. In his latest policy paper, Trump clarified his position on gun control, which appears to have changed.

It seems as though Trump has taken notes from the National Rifle Association’s message. Much of what was said in his announcement, which was published on his campaign website, sounds very similar to what spokesmen for the NRA and other groups have said.

“The Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right that belongs to all law-abiding Americans. The Constitution doesn’t create that right – it ensures that the government can’t take it away. Our Founding Fathers knew, and our Supreme Court has upheld, that the Second Amendment’s purpose is to guarantee our right to defend ourselves and our families. This is about self-defense, plain and simple.”

Mr. Trump’s take on the Second Amendment is about as conservative as you can get. In his announcement, he calls concealed carry a right, not a privilege. He said that once a person obtains a concealed carry permit, it should be valid in all fifty states.

“The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own.”

Throughout the paper, Trump stresses that we don’t need more regulation to fix the issue of gun violence. He suggests that we enforce the rules already on the books, and work to fix the background check system. While Trump would like to see the background check system fixed, he doesn’t think it needs to be expanded.

His current stance on gun-rights appears to be in conflict with his previous position on the matter. Back in 2000, his book The America We Deserve. talked about the subject in a much different way. As Yahoo News noted, Trump said that he supports a ban on so called “assault” weapons.

“I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun,”

In fairness, the political landscape has changed significantly in the 15 years since Mr. Trump expressed his opinions on gun control.

Donald’s latest announcement is sure to make his more conservative supporters happy. Many people have doubted Trump’s conservatism since he started his campaign. Most of the doubt stems from the fact that Trump once identified more closely with Democrats than he did with Republicans. If he truly believes what his campaign said about the Second Amendment, it’s clear Mr. Trump is far from a Democrat.

[Photo by Steve Pope / Getty Images]