Our most recent book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The second Trump administration has been full of ominous developments. The DHS killing of a disarmed man is among the worst.
Republican lawmakers are caught between the powerful gun lobby and top Trump officials over the deadly shooting of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti.
Why it matters: The GOP has a long, mutually beneficial history with influential Second Amendment rights groups. The tragedy in Minneapolis is complicating their political messaging.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) was asked Tuesday about Trump's latest comments on Pretti carrying a gun. "One. It's a constitutional right. Two. It's legal under the laws of the state of Minnesota," Thune said. "Perhaps he didn't have ID, but with that exception, he was in compliance with the laws. He has a constitutional right."
Between the lines: "You can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns," President Trump told reporters on Tuesday in response to questions about the fatal shooting in Minnesota."I don't like the fact that he was carrying a gun that was fully loaded," Trump told Fox News later Tuesday.
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The big picture: The Gun Owners of America released a statement after Pretti's death emphasizing that "peaceful protests while armed isn't radical — it's American."The Gun Owners Caucus of Minnesota criticized statements by FBI director Kash Patel, saying he was "completely incorrect on Minnesota law. There is no prohibition on a permit holder carrying a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines at a protest or rally in Minnesota."
The other side: "PRESIDENT TRUMP IS EXACTLY RIGHT," Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told Axios on Tuesday. Norman said people shouldn't carry guns into situations where people are interfering with law enforcement operations.
The bottom line: The NRA has spent tens of millions of dollars on federal elections, primarily backing Republican candidates, according to data compiled by Open Secrets.That gives the gun rights group enormous leverage inside the party.
Norman urged "Marshall Law" as a way of overturning the 2020 election.
