
Democracy Is in the Gun Lobby’s Sights
Decades of extremist rhetoric is fueling deadly attacks—and public officials are paying the price.
The man who killed Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman had a hit list. America’s armed extremists have one too—and democracy is on it.
This weekend, a man with at least three AK-47s, a 9mm handgun, and a list of names and addresses of public officials opened fire on two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses. State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed. State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were critically injured. Police later discovered a manifesto naming dozens of elected officials and local abortion providers. This was not an act of random violence—it was targeted, political, and terrifying.
While investigators have not yet confirmed the shooter’s motive, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has called it “a politically motivated assassination”—something we’re all too familiar with at GIFFORDS. Regardless of the final details, this tragedy marks the latest in a growing pattern of armed individuals using political grievances, conspiracies, and personal despair to justify violence against elected officials. And that pattern is not emerging in a vacuum. It’s being fueled by decades of extremist rhetoric that has been amplified, normalized, and monetized by America’s gun lobby.
For years, groups like the Heritage Foundation, the NRA, and Gun Owners of America have pushed the dangerous lie that the Second Amendment exists to give Americans the ability to use violence to fight against tyranny. Then they turn around and scream that anyone with whom they have policy differences is that tyrant. (Just see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.)
That’s not a dog whistle—it’s a bullhorn. But constantly crying “tyrant” is just the tip of the iceberg.
- In a book purportedly on guns and freedom, longtime NRA head Wayne LaPierre wrote that “The people have the right, must have the right, to take whatever measures necessary, including force, to abolish oppressive government.”
- In 2017, the day after Representative Steve Scalise was nearly killed by a gunman, an NRA spokesperson seemingly sided with those who use violence against their own government officials, saying “My weapons are here to defend me against my government. Ultimately, when it’s said and done, that’s the main reason I have these weapons.”
- Sig Sauer produced an ad likening proponents of gun safety laws to the tyranny of King George in the run up to the American Revolution. (“Today, our freedom is once again in question, and its future is not promised.”)
- The Firearms Policy Coalition claimed a bipartisan bill to enhance background checks and fight gun trafficking was “an act of violence against the fundamental rights of the People” saying any lawmakers who support it “sic the dogs of tyranny on their own people.”
- The National Association for Gun Rights declared the Second Amendment exists to enable the murder of fellow Americans, saying it’s “not about hunting – it’s about resisting tyranny from enemies both foreign and domestic.”
In other words, gun extremists have long sold the idea that their idea of democracy must be defended with bullets instead of ballots.
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In our 2022 report The Role of Guns in Rising Political Violence, we tracked how the gun lobby’s insurrectionist interpretation of the Second Amendment has taken hold—not only in extremist circles, but among politicians, media outlets, and mainstream gun rights organizations. Rhetoric once considered fringe—like talk of “Second Amendment remedies” or “hunting tyrants”—is now regularly repeated by sitting members of Congress.
We saw how armed protests became a feature of Trump’s first term in office, from statehouses across the country to the steps of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. We’ve watched as public officials have increasingly become targets of harassment, threats, and murder.In 2024 alone, the US Capitol Police investigated 9,474 concerning statements and direct threats against members of Congress, their families, and staff—an increase of over 130% compared to five years earlier.
Representative Hortman’s murder is a tragic reminder of that reality. As our research has shown, female elected officials are disproportionately targeted by armed intimidation and political violence, particularly women of color. Their identities and policy positions often make them lightning rods for hate. And their visibility makes them vulnerable—especially in an environment where guns are framed not just as tools of protection, but as instruments of political enforcement.
We must say what’s long been true—in America, guns have too often been used to silence dissent, suppress disenfranchised voices, and enforce social and political hierarchies. Today, those same dynamics are being turned against democracy itself.
The Minnesota shooting fits a familiar and deeply troubling pattern: A man under financial and psychological distress, a stockpile of military-grade weapons, an explicit list of political targets, the language of grievance, and the suggestion of martyrdom. These are the warning signs we’ve seen time and again—signs that an extremist worldview has taken root in which firearms become not just tools of self-defense, but twisted symbols of retribution and control.
And behind it all is the same playbook: Convince Americans that they’re under siege, that the government is the enemy, and that only a gun—and the willingness to use it—can keep tyranny at bay.
That is not freedom. It’s not patriotism. It’s a rejection of democracy itself.
If you tell people long enough that they are victims of a tyrannical regime and that guns are the remedy, some will act accordingly. They’ll show up at ballot drop boxes in tactical gear. They’ll storm statehouses. They’ll send death threats to election workers. And sometimes, they’ll bring a hit list.
We mourn the loss of Representative Hortman and her husband. Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of Representative Hortman and Senator Hoffman. Both Representative Hortman and Senator Hoffman have advocated for gun violence prevention, and Representative Hortman was a friend and ally of GIFFORDS.
But in the wake of horrific shootings like this, we can no longer afford to be shocked. Not when armed political violence has been growing, our democratic institutions are being undermined, and the people enabling this violence still hold political power and corporate influence.
It’s time to take action. States aren’t defenseless—they just need to prioritize passing laws to address political violence and the role guns play in it. Here’s where your state can start:
- Prohibit guns in polling places and other spaces central to democratic participation. Firearms—and threatening government officials—have no place in our democratic system. By banning guns from state capitols, legislative meetings, public demonstrations, and more, we can protect the public and ensure our democracy continues to function.
- Pass the PEACE Act. Developed by GIFFORDS Law Center and the Brennan Center for Justice, this first-of-its-kind law aims to prevent firearms from intimidating voters. It goes beyond banning guns in democratic spaces, and allows voters, election officials, and election workers to sue anyone who intimidates, threatens, or coerces them. Only two states have passed this law so far: California in 2024 and Colorado in 2025.
- Prohibit people who commit hate crimes from accessing guns. Weak federal gun laws make it far too easy for people with histories of violent hate and extremism to access guns. Some states have closed this gap by passing “disarm hate” laws that prohibit people from accessing guns if they’ve been convicted of certain violent hate crimes. A few states have more broadly restricted people convicted of violent crimes in general from accessing guns.
- Hold the Gun Industry Accountable. States can and should pass laws that hold gun manufacturers and sellers accountable when they fail to adopt reasonable controls to prevent the sale or distribution of firearms to those likely to harm themselves or others. These laws set clear standards for responsible conduct—such as employee training, secure distribution practices, screening for lawful buyers, and prohibiting marketing that glorifies violence or targets extremist movements. They also empower victims of gun violence to seek justice in court. By creating financial consequences for reckless or dangerous behavior, these laws help deter misconduct and encourage safer industry practices. Only nine states currently have such laws in place—but others can follow their lead and use existing models to take this critical step.
We must respond to political violence with courage and action. We must vote, defend truth, stand up for public servants under threat, demand accountability from those who incite violence, and refuse to let fear define our future. Democracy is not just on gun extremists’ lists. It’s in their sights.
GUNS & DEMOCRACY
RESOURCES
The Role of
the NRA
The NRA’s fear-based worldview depicts enemies lurking in every corner. Everyday citizens should not take the law into their own hands, threatening our democracy to protect it from imagined enemies.
READ MORERising Political Violence
Our democracy can’t function if Americans are threatened with armed violence. Policymakers must take steps to address our concurrent crises of gun violence and a democracy under threat.
READ MOREdangerous Rhetoric
Language that incites violence or fans the flames of hate should not be left unchecked, especially when it comes from our elected officials. We must hold those urging violence to account.
READ MOREGuns & Voting
Voting and elections have become the targets of threats and intimidation. To ensure that elections remain peaceful, states must ban guns at places where votes are cast and counted and enact stronger anti-intimidation laws.
READ MOREProtecting democracy
Americans may be subject to armed intimidation at the polls, scared into not participating in the election, or the target of political violence. But states can fight back with strong gun laws.
READ MOREOnline Threats & Extremism
Our memo details how conversations on social media platforms, often led by gun extremists, laid the foundation for the assault on the United States Capitol on January 6.
READ MORE
MAKE A GIFT
We’re building a movement of Americans committed to gun safety. Democrats and Republicans, gun owners and non–gun owners alike—we stand united to reject the gun lobby and pass lifesaving gun safety laws.