Ahead of New Hampshire, Trump and Haley Are Out of Step with Americans on Gun Safety
New Hampshire voters head to the polls tomorrow to vote in the quickly dwindling Republican presidential primary. While Donald Trump and Nikki Haley’s campaigns focus on the differences between them, the most troubling position is one that they share: gun extremism.
While we don’t know who will win in the Granite State tomorrow, we do know who will lose: the overwhelming majority of Americans who support commonsense gun safety laws.
The gun safety debate among voters is over. More than three-fourths of Americans—including the majority of Republicans—support top GIFFORDS priorities, including background checks on all gun sales, “red flag” laws, corporate gun industry accountability, basic licensing to purchase weapons, and required safety training. Additionally, 76% of voters in battleground states support President Biden’s 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant federal gun safety law in 30 years.
By catering to the gun lobby, Trump and Haley are simply appealing to a shrinking minority within their party. Voters in November will not overlook their flawed records as our nation faces a gun violence crisis.
MEDIA REQUESTS
Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.
Contact
Despite his tough talk on the campaign trail, America became much more dangerous during Trump’s presidency. Gun homicides across the country rose from 14,415 in 2016 to 19,384 in 2020—a whopping 34% increase in just four years.
Trump—who, let’s remember, earlier this month told Iowa parents they’d need to “get over it” after a school shooting in Perry, Iowa—has promised to be a “loyal friend” to the NRA and made national concealed carry reciprocity a fixture of his campaign. He has committed to gutting states’ ability to enforce their own permitting laws and qualifications for carrying a concealed firearm in public. Data shows that states with weak permitting laws experienced violent crime rates 13% to 15% higher than they would with stronger laws, so it’s no surprise that American voters, concerned for their safety, oppose permitless carry by a 2–1 margin.
South Carolina grew much more dangerous under Nikki Haley’s leadership. The number of gun homicides in the state increased by an eye-opening 26% from her first full year in office to her last. When she left office, South Carolina had the 10th highest gun death rate in the nation.
When a violent neo-Nazi obtained a weapon through a loophole in federal law and used it to murder nine Black parishioners at a historic Black church in Charleston, Haley infuriated victims’ families by refusing to support closing the same loophole. Rev. Sharon Risher, the daughter of one of those murdered, relayed her anger with Haley to a local newspaper, “You witnessed the heartache and pain of the families. You attended my mother’s funeral. Yet you won’t support the bill to extend the wait time for background checks?”
As a presidential candidate, Haley continues to oppose commonsense gun safety measures that have broad bipartisan support.
SPOTLIGHT
GUN LAW SCORECARD
The data is clear: states with stronger gun laws have less gun violence. See how your state compares in our annual ranking.
Read More
TAKE ACTION
Students, veterans, survivors: Americans from all walks of life across the country are standing up for commonsense gun reform. If you’re fed up with politicians who care more about protecting gun lobby profits than your safety, stand with us in this fight.
Join Us