This week, we're looking at the first-of-its-kind move to make the FBI Director the Acting Director of the ATF. To do that, we've got Reason Magazine's J.D. Tuccille back on the show. He recently wrote about what Kash Patel's appointment might mean for the gun agency. He argued it could send a signal the administration plans to merge the two law en…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover the Supreme Court's latest remand of a case concerning whether convicted felons have any Second Amendment rights. We also discuss major gun manufacturer Daniel Defense's decision to wade into the ongoing efforts to reform the NRA through board elections. We then briefly touch on the Trump administration…

This week, we're taking a closer look at how the Trump DOJ might change its approach to gun litigation. We've got Andrew Willinger of Duke University's Firearms Law Center on the show to give us a different perspective from the one we got last week. He argued the administration is likely to move to reverse a lot of the Biden-era ATF rules currently…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover the Trump administration's current freeze on processing new export licenses and how it is hitting the firearms industry particularly hard. We also talk about a federal judge issuing a preliminary injunction against Maine's 72-hour waiting period for gun sales, an Arizona state judge tossing a local gun …

President Donald Trump issued an executive order that reviews federal gun policy with the aim of implementing some changes. However, it's unclear exactly what changes might come from the order. So, we've got Second Amendment scholar David Kopel on the show to try and give some clarity to what's possible. Kopel walks through each section of the orde…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss a ruling out of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals where a panel once again decided that a single mother who wrote a bad check 17 years ago can be disarmed for life. We also discuss a Trump-appointed judge out of Hawaii who ruled that the Aloha state can continue to deny adults under the age of 21 acc…

The gun industry just finished up its trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Even though I was in the Philippines with my fiance during the show this year, I wanted to make sure we all stayed updated on the big storylines of SHOT Show 2025. So, I invited one of the best gun reviewers out there to come on the show and give us his view from the floor. Davi…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss David Hogg's election for a Democratic Party leadership position and what it says about the party's approach to gun politics. We also talk about Trump's attorney general nominee Pam Bondi getting confirmed despite concerns raised by gun rights groups and unpack one of her first actions with regard to …

This week, we've got one of the most prominent and longest-running Guntubers on the show. InRangeTV's Karl Kasarda joins the podcast to discuss his view of the Second Amendment and the backlash his advocacy has generates from other sections of the gun owning community. He argues gun rights belong to everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, …

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss new claims from the gun industry about the ATF continuing to enforce its controversial "zero tolerance" policy despite Trump's promises to reverse it. We talk about Trump's lack of gun policy action so far and why some gun-rights groups are starting to speak out. We also cover a significant new ruling…

We are about one week into President Donald Trump's new term. So, we've got Kevin Williamson from The Dispatch back on the show to go over what happened. Or, perhaps more accurately, what didn't happen. Williamson said Trump's first week was relatively light on gun action, especially compared to other issues. He said that may not tell us where Trum…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I recap the Trump administration's first week back in power, including how gun policy was left out of his flurry of new executive actions. We also cover his pardoning of the January 6 rioters, many of whom will once again have access to firearms despite being convicted of violent offenses. Finally, we break dow…

This week, we're looking ahead at what Republicans want to do on gun policy headed into their new trifecta. To do that, we have the man who has been at the center of their legislative efforts for years now. Representative Richard Hudson from North Carolina's Ninth District joins the show. He has sponsored most of the top-priority gun bills in recen…

Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I recap the first confirmation hearing for Donald Trump's Attorney General nominee, Pam Bondi. We talk about why it could spell trouble for the political influence of gun-rights advocates. We also cover the Supreme Court's latest rejection of multiple Second Amendment appeals and where things stand with a close…

The National Rifle Association appears to be at the end of a six-year ordeal. Last month, the final order in its New York civil corruption case was handed down, and the outside law firm responsible for handling it has left. To talk about the latest developments, we have NRA board member Rocky Marshall on the show this week. He joined us from the gr…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover what the latest NICS data show about how much gun sales dropped in 2024. We also discuss another federal appeals court delivering an unchanged verdict on a case remanded by the Supreme Court, this time dealing with the gun rights of a non-violent marijuana user. Plus, we cover House Republicans re-intro…

This week, we're talking to the director of a promising new program designed to prevent acts of mass violence. Jordan Estrada is the founder and director of Let's Talk to Them. His group takes the latest research on mass shooters, much of which we've talked about on the show before, and tries to put its lessons into practice. The innovative project…

This week, a Wisconsin school shooting provided a potential warning about what might come from the murder of UnitedHealthcare's CEO. That's not because the two shootings are directly connected but rather because the Wisconsin attack was influenced by the Columbine attack. And the CEO killing has many of the same hallmarks that could lead to it infl…

Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I talk about a new ruling out of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld the lifetime felony gun ban against a defendant based on his history of violent misdemeanor convictions. We also cover new survey data from Donald Trump's top pollster indicating strong support for pro-gun judges and policies. We di…

This week, we're discussing one of the highest-profile assassinations we've seen in a long time. One where the killer used a 3D-printed firearm, and video of the attack has been viewed countless times across the country. To figure out what effect all of that might have on the homebuilt gun community, we've got Rob Pincus back on the show. He's a pa…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I talk about the NRA's New York corruption case finally coming to an end after six years. We also discuss the Supreme Court's latest rejection of a Second Amendment case, the high-profile "Spirit of Aloha" Hawaii gun carry decision. We wrap up by covering the latest reports suggesting the United Healthcare CEO …

This week, we're looking ahead at the next four years of gun policy. With Donald Trump coming back into office having already promised to fire the current ATF director, it's an open question of what he might do with the agency. That's why we have George Mason University Professor Robert Leider back on the show to hear his view of what moves gun-rig…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I break down what we can glean about the UnitedHealthcare CEO's assassin based on surveillance footage of his gun. We also cover President Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter and what that means for Second Amendment challenges related to his gun crimes. We wrap up by discussing the trend of Trump's law enforce…

A lot has happened since the last time we did a Q&A episode. So, this week we're answering Reload Member questions. Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman joins me in fielding a bunch of different topics. We cover everything from the status of the legal fight over "assault weapons" bans, to what Second Amendment case the Supreme Court might take next, t…

This week, we're looking back at the 2024 election and forward at the next administration. To do that, we have Semafor's Dave Weigel on the show. He joined us shortly before the election to discuss each campaign's gun messaging. Now, he's back to sort through what worked, what didn't, and where things go from here. Weigel agreed there probably wasn…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I break down new gun polling data from Gallup showing a massive decrease in support for a handgun ban amongst Democrats. We also unpack Gallup data showing a shrinking gender gap, but a widening partisan gap, among gun owners. Finally, we wrap up with a pair of significant gun-related state Supreme Court ruling…

This week, we have a new Senate Majority Leader and are getting a clearer picture of what the next Congress will look like. But what will it do on gun policy? To answer that question, we have one of the preeminent congressional reporters on the show. Punchbowl co-founder John Bresnahan has been covering Congress for decades now. He knows all of the…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover a significant new ruling out of Illinois, where a federal judge found that the state's ban on so-called assault weapons and large-capacity magazines is unconstitutional. We also cover the growing chorus of voices calling on President-elect Trump to dismantle President Biden's Office of Gun Violence Prev…

We have the topline election results, but we don't know everything for sure yet. Many House and some Senate races have yet to be called. Still, what we do have is enough to give us a pretty good idea of what will be possible for gun policy under the new Republican Federal trifecta led by Donald Trump. That's why we've brought back Cam Edwards of Be…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I breakdown what we know so far about the results of the 2024 election, including the likely balance of power in Congress. We cover what that might mean for gun policy and how the national gun groups did in influencing that outcome with their election spending. We also cover a couple of key gun-related down bal…

The election is just days away. In fact, it's the day after this episode is released to the public. The time to cover the daily developments on the campaign trail is over. Now, it's time to look ahead at what the realistic expectations on gun policy should be for a potential Trump or Harris administration. To do that, I've brought somebody from an …

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover the big races where the national gun groups are pouring their money into before polls close on election night. We also discuss an interesting new ruling upholding Washington DC’s magazine ban on unique grounds. We wrap up by covering Kamala Harris’ recent comments in a podcast appearance attempting to c…

This week, we're discussing the final fundraising numbers we're going to see from the gun groups ahead of the election. To do that, we've got Hot Air's Ed Morrissey back on the show. He said he isn't surprised to see the gun-control groups outraising the NRA and its allies. He argued it would probably take several more cycles for former NRA donors …

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover a pair of resurfaced clips from Kamala Harris’ tenure as San Francisco DA that show her taking a more pragmatic view of the Second Amendment and school security policy. We also discuss how party control of the House of Representatives next year could come down to a race in Maine where an incumbent Democ…

This week, we unfortunately have to talk about a story that comes with a content warning. News of NRA CEO Doug Hamlin's involvement in the torture and killing of a cat during college resurfaced on Monday. Hamlin has denied "direct" involvement, but contemporaneous reporting indicates his role was more than ancillary. Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms joi…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover new polling that finds the Supreme Court's Bruen decision is more popular than ever. We also talk about the Court's recent move to grant, vacate, and remand a lower court decision that sided with pro-gun plaintiffs. We briefly touch on some recent ad spending blitzes from gun groups on both sides of the…

This week, we're taking a closer look at Kamala Harris's recent gun messaging. That's why we have Tim Miller of The Bulwark on the show. He's a Republican strategist turned Never Trumper who wants Harris to win but isn't afraid to be honest about whether her campaign is going in a direction that makes sense. On her recent turn to talking about owni…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I recap how oral arguments over the ATF’s reclassification of unfinished firearms parts kits went this week before the Supreme Court. We also discuss the justices’ decision to take up the case over Mexico’s lawsuit against the American gun industry later this term. Then, we turn to the politics behind Kamala Ha…

This week, we're looking at crime data and the unprecedented drop in the murder rate. That's why we have Jeff Asher from AH Datalytics back on the show. He has been following and reporting crime data for decades, and he explains how dramatic the downturn in murder is compared to the incredible spike we saw just a few years ago. He said 2023 saw a r…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I recap the Vice Presidential debate, where the candidates at the top of the ticket were asked substantive gun policy questions for the first time all season. We also unpack the latest monthly gun sale data showing a trend of rising sales heading into the election. We wrap up with a discussion on the Massachuse…

This week, we broke a major story about Kamala Harris's record backing a total handgun ban in San Francisco. As District Attorney in 2005, Harris supported Proposition H. It banned the sale, purchase, and even possession of pistols by nearly every city resident. The measure never went into effect, but only because gun-rights activists won the court…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I talk about Kamala Harris' past support for a San Francisco ballot measure that banned the sale and possession of handguns during her time as the city's District Attorney and what bearing that might have in the current election. We also talk about new FEC records showing the NRA trailing the national gun right…

This week, we're turning our attention to the presidential race. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris seem to have found their message on guns and are sticking to it. Assassination attempts, a major school shooting, and the race tightening haven't moved voters. Neither has any of that moved the candidates themselves. So, we've got Bearing Arms editor Cam…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I talk about new polling data showing voters trust Kamala Harris more on the issue of "gun violence" despite ranking the issue low on their list of priorities this election. We also talk about the political implications of young women moving way to the left on the issue of guns. Finally, we wrap up with a discu…

This week, we're reacting to the debate. That's why I've got one of the top political reporters in the country on the show. Dave Weigel is a writer for Semafor, who runs their Americana newsletter. He has been covering national politics across major outlets for decades now. He is one of the best-sourced reporters out there. He said Kamala Harris br…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss my time in Texas covering the NRA's latest board meeting, where the group came to an agreement on a reform plan but failed to overhaul its legal strategy after a marathon executive session. We also discuss new corruption allegations against the group in a recently filed lawsuit from a former employee,…

This week, we've got one of the nation's premier political analysts on the show. Steve Hayes, co-founder of The Dispatch, joined us to discuss the state of the 2024 gun debate. He gave his take on the path Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have taken in their respective campaigns. Then he turned to how the recent mass shooting at a Georgia High School…

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover the early political and legal fallout from the Georgia High School shooting, including what it could mean for the Presidential race as well as the trend of criminally charging the parents of mass shooters. We also talk about a new political ad campaign launched by gun control group March for Our Lives a…

This week, we're covering the very first time since the Supreme Court handed down the Bruen ruling that a federal judge has struck down the machinegun ban. That may have implications for not just the ban itself but the law it is housed under: The National Firearms Act (NFA). That's why we've got a gun-rights lawyer who has handled NFA cases. Matt L…

Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I cover the latest federal campaign finance numbers showing gun control groups outraising the NRA and other gun rights organizations in the lead up to the election. We also talk about a pair of federal appeals court rulings, one striking down the federal gun ban for marijuana users and the other striking down M…