GIFFORDS Responds to Trump’s Detroit Visit
WASHINGTON — Today, GIFFORDS, the national gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released a statement as former president Donald Trump’s campaign visited Detroit, Michigan to court Black voters. The same day Trump visited Detroit, GIFFORDS representatives joined 500 gun violence prevention advocates rallied for the Silence the Violence March at the Church of the Messiah.
On the heels of Friday’s Supreme Court decision to overturn the bump stock ban, the gun safety stakes have been raised for November’s election. Trump promised to repeal President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which has already provided Michigan with nearly $9 million to fight gun violence, including implementation of Michigan’s recently-passed extreme risk protection law, violence reduction programs, victims services, school mental health services, and threat assessment training.
“Rather than close loopholes to keep guns off the streets, Donald Trump tells grieving families to ‘get over it’ and brags to the NRA that he ‘did nothing’ to stop gun violence. Gun murders increased 34% during Trump’s time in office—a second term would be disastrous for our city,” said Mia Reid, member of GIFFORDS Survivor Network and Founder of Detroit’s Charles W. Reid Community Help Center. “This could also have a devastating effect on Black communities which are disproportionately impacted by gun violence.”
“Joe Biden has done more to save Detroiters’ lives from gun violence than any president in history. He brought Republicans and Democrats together to pass the most significant violence prevention bill in generations. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has consistently shown that he doesn’t genuinely care about ending gun violence or the well being of Black Americans. His trip to Detroit will only continue his shameful attempts to appeal to Black Detroiters by perpetuating racist tropes and stereotypes that have permeated this country since its inception,” Reid added.
Mia Reid is a Detroit-based gun violence survivor, violence prevention advocate, and leads a nonprofit providing mental health, basic needs, and literacy resources to the community. Reid, a licensed therapist, founded the Charles W. Reid Community Help Center in honor of her son Charles Woodrow Reid, who was killed by gun violence June 26, 2011.
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