Federal officials are touting the success of their crime-fighting efforts in Washington, D.C., pointing to the number of guns seized since the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and the White House have frequently highlighted arrest numbers and firearms recoveries as key metrics of their effectiveness. Officials from the D.C. mayor’s office to the FBI have echoed this sentiment, suggesting that taking guns off the streets and making arrests are direct indicators of progress.
This emphasis on stringent gun enforcement marks a stark departure from the administration’s broader approach to firearms regulation. During Trump’s second term, his administration has cut funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), shut down the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and planned to slash two-thirds of the inspectors who monitor federally licensed gun dealers. Furthermore, the administration directed the FBI to narrow the definition of a fugitive, while Trump has voiced support for a national “right-to-carry” law.
This deregulation push has been mirrored at the state level, with Republican legislatures in 29 states passing laws allowing individuals without serious convictions or active restraining orders to own and carry unregistered firearms. The pressure has been so significant that U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced that carrying a rifle or shotgun without a license in D.C. would now be charged only as a misdemeanor, despite the law allowing for a felony charge.
Consequently, the very act for which many are being arrested in D.C.—possession of a gun without a license—is no longer a crime in large parts of the country. If a national right-to-carry law were enacted, it would be legal everywhere. This has created drastic legal disparities, even within the same state. In Pennsylvania, for instance, carrying a gun without a license is a misdemeanor, but a special provision for “cities of the first class” allows it to be charged as a felony in Philadelphia.
Studies indicate that these permissive “right-to-carry” laws have been linked to significant increases in violent crime, including the escalation of minor disputes into gun violence.
Beyond the apparent hypocrisy, the singular focus on gun recovery in D.C. raises serious concerns. When police performance is judged by the number of firearms confiscated, it can encourage aggressive tactics, including racial profiling and pretextual stops based on flimsy suspicions. Such methods risk leading to illegal searches and an increase in police violence, which can quickly erode the community trust essential for solving more serious crimes.
The administration’s strategy appears politically motivated. While most Americans favor greater gun control, the administration can appeal to this sentiment by highlighting arrests in D.C. without delving into the legal nuances. By portraying everyone arrested with a gun as a potential criminal, officials can project a tough-on-crime image while simultaneously advancing a deregulatory agenda elsewhere.
This law enforcement crackdown has been described as a “dragnet” lacking strategic planning, designed to produce short-term results that generate positive headlines. While crime rates in D.C. have fallen, this is an expected outcome of a massive and sudden increase in law enforcement presence. This approach, however, is unlikely to produce a sustained reduction in violent crime, which requires long-term investment, community engagement, and strategic planning.
Once the National Guard withdraws, confiscated firearms can be easily replaced. Thanks to deregulation, lax gun laws in one state facilitate easier access to weapons in the nation’s capital.
Ultimately, the administration is taking credit for addressing a problem its own policies have exacerbated. It has worked to deregulate firearms, making them easier to obtain, while orchestrating a crackdown that measures success by confiscating those same weapons. This has been accomplished even as violent crime continues to decline in cities across the country, suggesting the public should be skeptical of claims that a heavy-handed, temporary presence is the key to public safety.
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