In a bold pivot, the Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi is dismantling years of restrictive gun policies. The shift, aligning with President Trump’s vision, has gun owners cheering and progressives clutching their pearls. It’s a rare day when bureaucracy bends toward liberty.
According to Survival World, within 100 days of Trump’s administration, the DOJ has transformed from a quiet supporter of gun control to a fierce defender of Second Amendment rights. This seismic shift, as gun rights advocate William Kirk calls it, includes repealing ATF rules and withdrawing from anti-gun lawsuits. The change is as swift as it is surprising.
The ATF’s “Zero Tolerance” rule, which yanked firearms licenses over minor paperwork errors, is gone. So is the “Engaged in the Business” rule, which targeted hobbyists and private sellers with punishing fines. These repeals signal a DOJ fed up with bureaucratic overreach.
President Trump’s executive order, “Protecting Second Amendment Rights,” set the stage for this overhaul. It birthed the Second Amendment Task Force, a DOJ unit now scrutinizing local abuses, like Los Angeles’ murky concealed carry permitting process. The task force isn’t just talk—it’s delivering.
The DOJ’s withdrawal from "New York v. Arm or Ally" marks a clean break from past policies. Previously, the department backed New York’s prosecution of companies selling unfinished lower receivers, deemed lawful by the ATF at the time. Retroactive punishment, Solicitor General Henry Whitaker argued, is simply unjust.
“The ATF had considered such conduct lawful at the time of sale,” Whitaker stated. Punishing manufacturers after the fact reeks of vindictive governance, the kind the Bondi-led DOJ is eager to bury. It’s a move that has gun makers breathing easier.
In Hawaii, the DOJ is taking aim at concealed carry laws that effectively nullify the right to bear arms. The state’s rules ban carrying on private property open to the public unless explicitly allowed, a policy the DOJ calls a deliberate roadblock. Their amicus brief in "Wolford v. Lopez" pulls no punches.
“Hawaii’s law serves no legitimate purpose and instead seeks only to inhibit the exercise of the right to bear arms,” the DOJ’s brief declares. It leans heavily on the 2022 Supreme Court ruling in "New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen", which affirmed public carry rights. The Aloha State might need a constitutional refresher.
The DOJ’s involvement in "Wolford v. Lopez" underscores its new role as a heavyweight in Second Amendment fights. “The most powerful tool gun rights can ever use,” Kirk said of the department’s legal might. With unlimited resources and skilled attorneys, the DOJ is a game-changer, as the NRA-ILA aptly noted.
Bondi’s DOJ is distancing itself from the regulatory excesses of the Obama and Biden eras. Past ATF guidance, often wielded retroactively to snare gun owners, is now under scrutiny. Clarity and constitutional fidelity are the new watchwords in firearms regulation.
The Second Amendment Task Force is also reassessing rules on unfinished frames and receivers. This focus on local and federal abuses signals a DOJ unwilling to let bureaucratic whims trump constitutional rights. It’s a refreshing change from the days of regulatory roulette. Not everyone’s sold on Bondi’s transformation. Some gun rights advocates, wary of her record, remain skeptical despite these wins. But as Kirk quipped, “It’s been a pretty good 107 to 108 days, hasn’t it?”
The DOJ’s shift is reshaping the gun rights landscape, with courts taking note of its reversals. “Nothing could be worse than a heavy dose of DOJ with a little ATF sprinkled in,” Kirk warned, highlighting the department’s past as a foe. Now, it’s an ally with unmatched firepower.
Litigation is costly, as Kirk noted, but the DOJ’s deep pockets level the playing field. “All litigation is incredibly expensive,” he said, underscoring the advantage of having the department in the gun rights corner. It’s a shift that could outlast any administration.
The Bondi-led DOJ is proving that actions speak louder than promises. By prioritizing constitutional rights over bureaucratic traps, it’s carving a path for gun owners to stand taller. For once, the federal government seems to remember who it serves.
