Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Guess What? Biden Wants to Ban Guns!

Monday, March 6, 2023

Guess What? Biden Wants to Ban Guns!

Yes, that is sarcasm in our headline.  Anybody who has ever heard Joe Biden speak publicly knows he wants to ban firearms.  It is hard to find any occasion where he doesn’t talk about banning guns.  It is likely that he talks about it in his sleep.

Nonetheless, we do feel it is important to point out whenever he renews his call to ban firearms, as he did last week while speaking at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference.

In the middle of his speech, it seemed that Biden realized he had not spoken about banning firearms, so without any sort of transition, he threw in:

I know I ma- — make some of you uncomfortable, but that little state above me, in Delaware, is one of the — has the highest rate — one of the highest rates of gun ownership.  But guess what?  We’re going to ban assault weapons again come hell or high water.  And high-capacity magazines.   When we did it last time, it reduced mass death.

Almost everything he said in that relatively brief string of words is not accurate—except, perhaps, the part about making some of the people in attendance “uncomfortable.”

First, the event was held in Baltimore, MD, which is not south of Delaware, but to the west.  The “little” state to the north of Baltimore is Pennsylvania.  Perhaps that’s a little nit-picky, and maybe Biden had some other point of reference in mind when he said the state was “above me,” but it’s hard to imagine what.  Considering the president’s extensive list of things he speaks about without any apparent knowledge, we’re going to go with he also lacks a basic understanding of U.S. geography.

Then there’s his claim that Delaware has “one of the highest rates of gun ownership.  That’s only true if you consider ranking no higher than 30th out of 50 as high.  While there is no consensus on ranking states by rate of gun ownership, we found the majority of sources put Delaware in the bottom 10 states, with some putting it at the very bottom.  One source did put the state at number 30, but with more than half the states ranked higher, one could hardly consider even that outlier as qualifying as “one of the highest states.”

His third point, his claim that he will achieve his goal of banning most semi-automatic pistols, rifles, and shotguns—what he refers to as “assault weapons”—appears to be the new talking point, upping his usual claim that we simply “need” to enact such a ban.  During his recent State of the Union speech, he demanded a ban.  Now he seems more prone to guaranteeing it.  It’s unlikely that he has the ability to enact such a ban through Congress, so perhaps he intends to abuse his executive authority—as he has done with stabilizing braces.

Whether he is able to pull off some sort of legislative miracle, or if he tries to ban guns by Executive Order, neither route is likely to survive a legal challenge—one NRA would eagerly file, if needed—as the Supreme Court has made clear that banning firearms “in common use” would be unconstitutional.  There are few firearms, if any, that are more “in common use” today than semi-automatic firearms.  The same goes for the magazines that are commonly sold with those firearms, which Biden considers “high-capacity.”

Finally, there’s Biden’s completely debunked claim that the 1994 ban on semi-autos “reduced mass death.”  A number of studies have consistently proven that the ’94 ban had no impact on crime, mostly because “the banned guns were never used in more than a modest fraction of gun murders.”

It’s hard to imagine anyone could be so wrong, so frequently, using so few words, but that seems to have become SOP for Biden.  When he speaks, he will rail against guns and the Second Amendment, and when he does that, he will be wrong on the facts.

But make no mistake: no matter how misinformed Joe Biden might be on firearms, he still wields an enormous amount of power and influence over public policy merely by virtue of his office. It will take continuing vigilance and dedicated opposition to thwart his intentions. And if hell and high water won’t stop him, the combined efforts of the NRA, its members, and its supporters must.

TRENDING NOW
Due Process: The Backbone of Legal Legitimacy

News  

Monday, September 8, 2025

Due Process: The Backbone of Legal Legitimacy

Close observers of the gun debate often see references to due process.

Gun Control “Journalist” Says the Quiet Part Out Loud

News  

Monday, September 8, 2025

Gun Control “Journalist” Says the Quiet Part Out Loud

Pure gun control. As in disarmament and banning of firearms. It’s rare that anti-gunners get straight to the exact point that we have been warning of for decades. 

Third Circuit Strikes Some New Jersey Carry Restrictions in NRA Case

Thursday, September 11, 2025

Third Circuit Strikes Some New Jersey Carry Restrictions in NRA Case

Yesterday, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in Siegel v. Platkin, striking some of the carry restrictions New Jersey enacted in response to the NRA’s landmark Supreme Court victory, New York State Rifle & ...

The Desperate Deflection to the “Red State Murder Problem”

News  

Monday, September 8, 2025

The Desperate Deflection to the “Red State Murder Problem”

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) may have thought he had scored against President Donald Trump in a recent war of words over rampant crime and the deployment of federal law enforcement agents to Democratic-led cities

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Hear Challenge to Washington’s Magazine Ban

Monday, September 8, 2025

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Hear Challenge to Washington’s Magazine Ban

Today, the National Rifle Association filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to grant certiorari in a case challenging Washington State’s ban on firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

Illinois: Governor Signs Mandatory Firearm Storage Law

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Illinois: Governor Signs Mandatory Firearm Storage Law

Earlier this month, Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 8 into law. This legislation imposes new mandatory firearm storage requirements on law-abiding gun owners.  

Minnesota: Senate Gun Violence Prevention Working Group Meeting on Monday

Friday, September 12, 2025

Minnesota: Senate Gun Violence Prevention Working Group Meeting on Monday

On Monday, September 15th, the Minnesota Senate will hold a special working group on "gun violence prevention."

California: Legislature Adjourns with Anti-Gun Bills Headed to the Governor's Desk

Monday, September 15, 2025

California: Legislature Adjourns with Anti-Gun Bills Headed to the Governor's Desk

On Friday the California State Legislature adjourned the 2025 legislative session in typical California fashion, advancing anti-gun legislation to Governor Newsom's desk. Contact Governor Newsome today and urge his veto of AB 1078, AB 1127, AB ...

Washington Post Admits that Anti-gun Lawfare “Cannot be the Solution” to Crime

News  

Monday, March 17, 2025

Washington Post Admits that Anti-gun Lawfare “Cannot be the Solution” to Crime

In a turnabout worthy of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Washington Post (WAPO) published an editorial last Tuesday criticizing the gun control movement for ignoring the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) and pursuing its agenda in ...

New York Law Imperils U.S. Olympic Target Shooting, Favors China’s Dominance

News  

Monday, September 15, 2025

New York Law Imperils U.S. Olympic Target Shooting, Favors China’s Dominance

As U.S. shooting sports athletes prepare for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, New York law is burdening target shooters in the Empire State.

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.