Establishment Media Focused on Painting Divide Between Trump and Gun Rights

Establishment media outlets are running stories to paint a division between President Trump and Second Amendment rights in the post-Alex Pretti shooting climate.

Here are just a few titles currently running: “2nd Amendment backlash follows portrayal of Alex Pretti by some Trump administration officials,” (ABC News); “Following Pretti killing, Trump opens the door to a radical shift on gun policy,” (MS NOW); “NRA Clashes With Trump as He Says Pretti ‘Shouldn’t Have Been Carrying a Gun,’” (TIME).

All of the pieces target either Trump individually or officials in his administration, claiming they have abandoned Second Amendment orthodoxy.

For example, the ABC News article says, “Multiple gun rights groups have criticized Homeland Security Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel for publicly condemning Pretti over bringing a gun to a protest despite Minnesota officials confirming he had a license to carry a concealed weapon.”

The piece on MS Now focused on Trump stating his belief that Pretti “certainly shouldn’t have been carrying a gun,” then asked:

To hear the sitting Republican president tell it, Americans “can’t have guns” at public gatherings. This creates an unexpected opportunity for reform advocates to introduce legislation to codify Trump’s position in federal law.

Are GOP lawmakers prepared to consider such a proposal, or are they prepared to condemn Trump’s position as unconstitutional nonsense?

The article running in TIME takes a similar path, and begins by pointing to the NRA’s Tuesday night post in support of exercising the right to bear arms.

TIME noted:

The clash between the NRA and Trump—who have previously shared a harmonious relationship—did not go unnoticed by the President’s opposition.

“Trump’s lost the NRA,” Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in response to the gun rights advocacy group’s nighttime statement. The Democrat Party’s official social media account also joined the discourse. Alongside a clip of Trump speaking to reporters, they wrote: “GOP President: You can’t have guns.”

None of the three establishment media outlets mentioned Pretti’s clash with federal law enforcement a week before he was shot. Nor did they point to CNN‘s report that unnamed sources indicated “federal immigration officers…had documented details about Alex Pretti before” Saturday’s fatal shooting.

Pretti had been injured while protesting law enforcement efforts over “their attempt to detain other individuals” a week before his death.

Minnesota’s carry law statute says:

The holder of a permit to carry must have the permit card and a driver’s license, state identification card, or other government-issued photo identification in immediate possession at all times when carrying a pistol and must display the permit card and identification document upon lawful demand by a peace officer, as defined in section 626.84, subdivision 1.

None of the outlets mentioned the DHS statement immediately after the shooting noting that the man shot had “no ID” on his person. In Minnesota, the law states that you must have your concealed carry permit and your government-issued ID with you when carrying a firearm.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow on X: @awrhawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.