Gov. Ron DeSantis has come out firing against President Joe Biden’s move to close the so-called “gun show loophole,” framing the executive action as a misrepresentation of the issue, an attack on Second Amendment rights to firearms, and certain to be struck down by the judiciary.
In St. Augustine, DeSantis said he expects the order to “be challenged immediately and … will end up getting nixed,” with the executive action being mere “window dressing” in lieu of legislative authorization.
“Let’s just be clear on these gun shows because you have these narratives and these talking points,” DeSantis said. “Every one of them must do a background check before they sell to you.”
The Governor said people like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer “want to say if you give a rifle, like if someone gives his brother a rifle, that they have to do a background check before they could just loan that if they go hunting or something.
“And what they’re trying to do is really crimp the ability to exercise Second Amendment rights,” DeSantis added.
The President says his authority is rooted in 2022’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which “broadened the category of gun sellers required to become licensed dealers and run background checks,” per the White House, with an eye toward moving “the U.S. as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation by clarifying the new Act.”
Biden acknowledged that his action skirts Congress in a statement Thursday, while purporting benefits of the move.
“I’ve spent hours with families who’ve lost loved ones to gun violence. They all have the same message: ‘Do something.’ Today, my Administration is taking action to make sure fewer guns are sold without background checks,” Biden said.
“This is going to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and felons. And my Administration is going to continue to do everything we possibly can to save lives. Congress needs to finish the job and pass universal background checks legislation now.”
Per The Associated Press, the move is intended to “close a loophole that has allowed tens of thousands of guns to be sold every year by unlicensed dealers who do not perform background checks to ensure the potential buyer is not legally prohibited from having a firearm.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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