More liberals, people of color, and LGBTQ Americans are buying guns out of fear following Donald Trump's 2024 reelection and administration actions. Gun clubs report surges in membership and training requests amid concerns over potential violence from Trump supporters. This shift challenges the traditional image of gun ownership as white, rural, and Republican.
The trend of increasing gun ownership among liberals and minorities has accelerated since Trump's reelection in 2024. Lara Smith, national spokesperson for the Liberal Gun Club, noted a surge in membership since the election, with people of color and trans individuals seeking training after receiving community threats.
Charles, a Black doctor in Maryland, exemplifies this shift. Raised in 1970s Brooklyn without even toy guns, he now practices weekly at a shooting range with his Smith & Wesson .380 handgun, purchased due to fears from Trump administration actions like arresting a foreign student critical of Israel policy and handcuffing a U.S. senator at a Homeland Security conference. "What I'm talking about is protecting myself from a situation where there may be some kind of civil unrest," Charles said, expressing worry that Trump's supporters might target minorities. He added, "He could dispatch citizens or the government... none of this is out of the question any longer."
The Liberal Gun Club's membership grew from 2,700 in November 2024 to 4,500, with training requests quintupling, according to trainer David Phillips. "The concern is about the supporters of the right-wing who feel that they have been given permission to run roughshod at least, if not commit outright violence against people they don't like," Phillips said.
Similar surges appear elsewhere. Tom Nguyen of LA Progressive Shooters reported Pistol 101 classes booked for nine months post-inauguration, saying, "There has been a huge surge in fear and panic since the election." Thomas Boyer of the San Francisco Pink Pistols chapter stated, "I've never seen a surge like this before."
Even traditional groups like the National Association for Gun Rights acknowledge more liberals seeking training, per communications director Taylor Rhodes. Google Trends showed spikes in "How do I buy a gun?" searches around the election, inauguration, a January immigration enforcement blitz, and a Washington military parade.
A University of Chicago study found Democrat-leaning gun ownership rose 7 percentage points from 2010 to 2022, with sociologist David Yamane citing 2020-2021 events like the pandemic, George Floyd's murder, and the January 6 Capitol riot as drivers, disproportionately affecting African Americans and women.
New owners emphasize self-protection only. MJ from a Midwest liberal self-defense group said, "All the language that we use is absolutely not about rallying together to arm and go assault anyone." Bill Sack of the Second Amendment Foundation welcomed more exercising rights but lamented the underlying fear: "Is it a good thing that people are scared? No, of course not."
The White House dismissed concerns, with spokeswoman Abigail Jackson blaming Democrats for violence, including the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, and criticizing NPR's coverage.