Trump administration to violate law, allow  people under 21 to buy handguns

WASHINGTON — GIFFORDS Law Center, the legal arm of the national gun violence prevention group GIFFORDS, released the following statement after the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel issued a notice declaring the statute banning the sale of handguns to 18-20 year olds “may not be enforced.” Conservative federal judges have routinely upheld minimum age laws as constitutional.  

This is the latest move from the Trump administration to refuse to defend the law to please the gun lobby. Yesterday, it was reported that President Trump is blocking the DOJ from appealing a decision that allows the sale of silencers and short-barrelled rifles and shotguns. 

“The Department of Justice’s job is to defend the law, not ignore it. This is yet another illegal and dangerous action by the Trump administration to please their gun lobby CEO donors. This corruption will result in people losing their lives,” said GIFFORDS Executive Director Emma Brown. “People ages 18 to 20 are responsible for a disproportionate share of school shootings, public mass shootings, and gun homicides overall. There is a reason minimum age laws exist. We will do everything we can to fight this.”