Let's Talk About Pam Bondi

The 2024 election is decided as Americans eagerly await the January transfer of power with a promise from incoming President Donald J. Trump to “Make America Great Again.” That phrase has taken on many meanings considering the problems the United States faces after four disastrous years under the Biden administration. From the overrun southern border and migrant crime waves to the economy and inflation sending the cost of living into an orbit beyond that which many households can sustain, the tired and hungry are now the citizens of America. Another issue at the forefront for many Americans is the Second Amendment, which remains under constant attack by lawmakers, antigun groups, and rogue agencies alike. With President-Elect Trump, however, placing his support firmly behind American gun rights, especially after his attempted assassination, it seems a return to the freedom and values that made this country great in the first place is headed for a resurgence, or is it?

As you know, we here at Firearms News are duty-bound to those values above all else, making excuses for nobody. As such, we do not shy from criticizing anyone who threatens the sovereignty of the Second Amendment and the Constitution of the United States of America. We draw little distinction as to whether those threats stem from a purposeful dereliction of duty or a lack of education on the debate. President Trump himself has a sordid history when it comes to the Second Amendment, having directed the ATF to ban bump stocks after a 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, and calling for the violation of due process on February 28, 2018, uttering infamously, “Take the gun first, go through due process second.” Where on earth would President Trump get that idea? I’m so happy you asked. Only six days before those shameful words were spoken, the President sat beside Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi at a meeting of school safety officials. Bondi took the opportunity to pitch her Gun Violence Restraining Order to a very receptive President Trump, calling for the unchecked removal of a citizen’s firearms and gun rights upon being red-flagged. If the name sounds familiar to you, it should, because this anti-Second Amendment former state Attorney General is now the President-Elect’s nominee for United States Attorney General after Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal.

Aside from being one of Florida’s biggest proponents of red flag laws, Pam Bondi worked to outlaw bump stocks in Florida and institute age-based firearm restrictions, barring adults under 21 from being able to purchase rifles legally. Bondi’s record does not bode well for the Second Amendment, at least from the Office of the United States Attorney General, making nominations for FBI and ATF Directors even more important to liberty-minded Americans. Of course, years have passed, and she could have changed her mind, right? After her final term as Florida’s attorney general, Pam Bondi went to work for Ballard Partners, a DC lobbying group with close ties to the Trump campaign, where she is currently a partner. As we know, big private sector salaries and nominations to the nation’s top offices affect thoughts and opinions, and perhaps Bondi is ready to fully embrace the meaning of “shall not be infringed” and due process. To her credit, Pam Bondi did hold firm on Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, however, if we are to have any trust in her appointment, where would we draw that from if not from her overall record? 

I’d like to know the source for her anti-Second Amendment follies, which may be more revealing as to her future opinions. Was she extending an olive branch to the maniacal and opportunistic left in an attempt to draw their support? This is a classic mistake made by so many in politics and the media who desperately want to be liked by everyone. It is to place vanity above principle, and popularity above values, which is not indicative of the fortitude necessary for correct course for America. One might think that criticism from President-Elect Trump’s conservative base might merit an explanation from Bondi prior to hearings, and I would agree. There could be good reasons why she remains quiet on the subject, trying not to stir the pot too much and hoping for a smooth confirmation. This stance is more self-serving than what the United States truly needs at this time, however, and I encourage conservatives, libertarians, and any citizen who values their freedom and individual liberty to call and write to your representatives, asking them to hold Pam Bondi to task on the Second Amendment.

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