Bloomberg’s ‘The Trace’ Warns a New Trump Administration Would Dismantle the White House Ministry of Gun Control

Donald Trump smiling laughing
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Biden launched the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention last year to coordinate federal efforts for a more holistic approach to the issue. While the office doesn’t make gun laws, or even enforce them, it serves as a clearinghouse for the administration’s messaging and policymaking on gun violence. 

The office launched a resource center to help states implement red flag laws, which temporarily disarm people deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. It has also regularly met with survivors, supported communities affected by mass shootings, and helped carry out Biden’s executive orders (more on those below).

Before Biden even took office, gun reform advocates urged the office’s creation as a visible symbol of the federal government’s commitment to addressing the crisis. Now, they fully expect the office — currently overseen by Harris — to be shuttered as soon as Trump takes office. 

“If Trump is reelected, there’s no more White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention,” said Adzi Vokhiwa, vice president of policy at the Community Justice Action Fund, a gun violence prevention group. “I think all of that goes away.”

Democrats on Capitol Hill, including Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Representative Maxwell Frost of Florida, introduced bills to make the office permanent, but the legislation stalled in a narrowly divided Senate and Republican-controlled House. 

That likely means the office will be gone “on Day One” of a second Trump presidency, Murphy told The Trace. “The progress we’ve made has saved lives, but it has also given a lot of victims’ families the sense that their advocacy means something,” he said. “They’re going to be talking to a brick wall if Trump is in the White House, and to the extent anybody in the White House talks to them, it’ll just be for show.”

— Chip Brownlee and Jennifer Mascia in The Four Federal Gun Violence Prevention Efforts Trump Could Dismantle

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

8 thoughts on “Bloomberg’s ‘The Trace’ Warns a New Trump Administration Would Dismantle the White House Ministry of Gun Control”

  1. I think Trump should leave it open, but use it for grants, financing for child and other NRA programs that actually work.

    1. Nice twist. I may be able to live with this, so long as enabling legislation was passed that would make it impossible for the Executive to “reverse” the office mandate back to one of supporting gun control, without new legislation. But, we all know how sneaky .gov is about twisting things…

    1. It needs to go for a variety of reasons, but one is its an unconstitutional and illegal allocation of funds and authority.

  2. I recently stopped in at our Commonwealth Capital in Harrisburg. Specifically, I visited the Circumlocution Office. It went like this:

    “Can I help you?”
    “Yes, I am here inquire about my request to see the Govenor.”
    “Did you fill out a form SG455?”.
    “Yes, when I was here last week.”
    “So, what do you want today?”
    “I want to know the status of my form SG455.”
    “Oh. You will need to complete a form INQ002 to inquire about the status of your form SG455.”
    “I need to submit a form to get the status of the form I submitted?”
    “Yes, that is the process.”
    “What will happen to my form INQ002?”
    “It will be sent upstairs for processing.”
    “What happens to it upstairs.”
    “I told you, it gets processed.”
    “Can I talk with the people upstairs?”
    “Yes, of course. But you will need to submit a form TU773.”
    “Will that form also be sent upstairs for processing?”
    “Of course. It is the only way forms get processed.”
    “Have you ever seen a form get processed?”
    “Of course not, my job is to give you the appropriate form, help you fill it out, and then sent it upstairs for processing. I don’t handle forms that have been processed.”
    “Who does that?”
    “I don’t know. I will need to submit a form WHO-001 to find out.”
    “Please do so. I will be back next week to get the results.”
    “Results? That is a different department.”

  3. The new Trump administration as compared to the 3 Stooges:

    https://connect.xfinity.com/appsuite/api/mail/biden%20explains%20science.mp4?action=attachment&folder=default0%2FINBOX&id=591629&attachment=2&user=2&context=11381969&sequence=1&session=f4ef3041fa1e4fca942ed8aa5f715c65&delivery=view

    https://connect.xfinity.com/appsuite/api/mail/%232%20Vice%20Potus.mp4?action=attachment&folder=default0%2FINBOX&id=591629&attachment=3&user=2&context=11381969&sequence=1&session=f4ef3041fa1e4fca942ed8aa5f715c65&delivery=view

    https://connect.xfinity.com/appsuite/api/mail/%233%20Speaker%20of%20the%20House.mp4?action=attachment&folder=default0%2FINBOX&id=591629&attachment=4&user=2&context=11381969&sequence=1&session=f4ef3041fa1e4fca942ed8aa5f715c65&delivery=view