Where Does Pam Bondi Stand on Gun Control?

Donald Trump’s second choice for Attorney General is likely to find a warmer reception in the Senate than Matt Gaetz did, but she could face some hostility from Second Amendment organizations over some of her previous positions on guns and gun control.

Pam Bondi served as Florida’s attorney general for eight years, and was in office when the legislature crafted its response to the 2018 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

“In a time of crisis, it’s about finding common ground, and that’s what Gov. Scott has done,” Bondi told Fox Business host Stuart Varney in March of that year, as the Florida legislature was in the midst of passing legislation that, among other things, raised the age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21 and established a “red flag” law in the state.

During that same interview, Bondi praised Trump’s response to the Parkland shootings and expressed her hope that he could be a “mediator” with federal lawmakers.

“Hopefully Congress will follow Florida’s lead and what Gov. Scott has been doing here in Florida and all of us working so well together,” she told Varney as the interview concluded.

Even before Bondi tacitly embraced “red flag” laws and prohibiting young adults from purchasing firearms at retail, some 2A activists in Florida weren’t big fans of Bondi’s tenure as AG. Florida Carry’s general counsel Eric Friday expressed relief when current AG Ashley Moody took over the position in 2019.

“Ms. Bondi made numerous anti-gun decisions,” Friday said.

Bondi opposed a semiautomatic weapon ban in Connecticut after the Sandy Hook shooting and defended Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law. But she also argued that stand your ground shouldn’t be used by police officers to defend their shootings.

In 2013, Bondi also defended the state’s law that prohibits people from openly carrying weapons, pitting her against Friday’s organization. Her handling of it prompted Hammer to reassure NRA members that Bondi was “a friend of our organizations.”

Bondi also defended the Legislature’s gun-control measures passed in the wake of the Parkland shooting, including a provision that outlawed anyone younger than 21 from buying a rifle or shotgun.

The NRA challenged the law and asked that a 19-year-old plaintiff be allowed to remain anonymous in the case so she could avoid potential harassment. After Bondi fought it, Hammer accused her of “bullying.”

Moody, it should be noted, has continued to defend the post-Parkland gun controls adopted by the Florida legislature and Scott. The NRA’s lawsuit challenging the age-based gun ban is currently pending in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, with oral arguments taking place last month.

Bondi is not an out-and-proud gun grabber, but she does come with some gun control baggage that’s likely to come up during her meet-and-greets with senators as well as her confirmation hearings. Would she, for instance, wholeheartedly defend the federal prohibition on handgun sales for adults younger than 21? Does she continue to believe that Congress should implement a federal gun violence restraining order like the one adopted in Florida six years ago? Would she side with the plaintiffs challenging semi-auto bans in Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, California, and a handful of other states? And where does Bondi come down on the issue of restoring Second Amendment rights to those convicted of non-violent felony offenses?

So far none of the major 2A groups have commented on Bondi’s selection on social media, either in support or opposition to her nomination. Whether she’ll face any formal objections from Second Amendment organizations remains to be seen, and they may very well be holding off until they hear what Bondi herself has to say about the right to keep and bear arms as the confirmation process plays out.

Enterprise [Alabama] Police Department

On November 18, 2024, at 11:05 AM, EPD Officers responded to the 800 block of County Road 266 on a shooting call. At the scene, Officers located one male victim with injuries to his head and one deceased male individual with a gun-shot wound to the pelvic area. Witnesses advised the suspect attacked the victim with a metal pipe after a verbal altercation. During the attack, the victim fired a single shot at the suspect. The suspect, identified as Patrick John Cerqua, age 59, was pronounced deceased at the scene. This investigation is still ongoing and no further information will be released.

 

Well, Circuits (besides, of course the Supreme Court) are where actual binding ‘case law’ s made, so …….

Senate Dems and GOP strike a deal on judicial appointments for Trump and Biden

A deal struck earlier this week between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate will enable President Joe Biden to possibly outperform President-elect Donald Trump in terms of the number of federal judges appointed in each of their term in office.

The trade-off is that Senate Republicans will allow Democrats to confirm 12-14 lower-level district court nominees without procedural delays, and Senate Democrats will not attempt to confirm four higher-level appeals-court judges, which will instead be saved for Trump to fill once he is in office. 

“It looks like the Biden administration is going to best the first Trump administration in terms of the amount of judges that are seated on the federal courts by the end of his term,” Devon Westhill, president and general counsel at the Center for Equal Opportunity said, according to the Washington Examiner.

Senate Democrats have confirmed 220 of Biden’s federal judicial nominees, while Trump had 234 in his first term, according to the outlet.

So far Biden has confirmed 173 district court judges and 45 appeals court judges. Meanwhile, Trump confirmed 174 district judges and 54 appellate judges during his first term.

Regarding the Supreme Court, Trump appointed three justices and Biden one. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Thursday that he wasn’t sure if Biden appointing more judges would top the number of Trump’s appointments.

Man dies after he was shot in the head while attempting to steal car in Northeast Philadelphia

An investigation is underway after a man shot another man who was attempting to steal his car while he was at an ATM in Northeast Philadelphia Friday afternoon, Philadelphia police said.

Officers responded to Frankford Avenue and Pratt Street after 3 p.m. for a shooting. This is near SEPTA’s Frankford Transit Center Station.

Authorities said a middle-aged man identified as John Doe was shot in the head. Police told CBS News Philadelphia that a man using the ATM left his car running, and another man jumped in to attempt to steal it.

The owner of the car, a licensed gun owner, shot into the car one time, hitting John Doe, according to police.

John Doe was taken to Temple University Hospital where he later died Friday evening, according to the Homicide Unit. He was pronounced at 6:17 p.m.

Authorities said SEPTA Police took the shooter into custody and there’s no other impact on SEPTA service.

The Honeymoon Is Over: Trump’s Pick for Labor Secretary Is a Teachers’ Union Fave

Well, that didn’t last as long as I would have liked. President-elect Donald Trump had been on a roll with his choices for roles in his next administration. On Thursday, he ruined the good vibes with one horrible, horrible Cabinet pick.

In Tuesday’s Morning Briefing, I celebrated Trump’s nomination of Linda McMahon to be Secretary of Education. Her strong views on school choice rattle the people in charge of the teachers’ unions, who are the biggest obstacle to education reform because they’re powerful leftist political lobbies. I noted that substantive progress with school choice would be “a direct shot at the heart of the Democrats’ main source of funding.”

On Thursday, Trump did something to make the teachers’ unions happy.

The Wall Street Journal:

Hard to believe, but Donald Trump on Friday night nominated a favorite of teachers union chief Randi Weingarten as his Labor Secretary. Why would Mr. Trump want to empower labor bosses who oppose his economic agenda and spent masses to defeat him?

Mr. Trump’s regrettable choice is Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Ms. Weingarten on Thursday tweeted her support for the freshman Republican. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who spoke at the Republican National Convention, has also been pulling for her. In a Truth Social post, Mr. Trump said she’ll work toward “historic cooperation between Business and Labor.” But Ms. Chavez-DeRemer has backed union giveaways like the Pro Act, which are not “cooperation.”

I’ll get to the Pro Act in a moment. For the moment, let us focus on the fact that Randi Weingarten is a vile human being. She was the face of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, and championed keeping them closed far longer than even the other tyrants thought was necessary. Weingarten wrecked a generation of public school children, forcing them into a brutal game of “catch up” that many will never win.

Then she lied about her role in all of that.

She’s Team Trump with the Chavez-DeRemer choice though:

When one of the most clinically insane leftists in America thinks that a Republican politician did a good thing, it means that the Republican just did a clinically insane leftist thing.

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Leftist Governors Retaliate Against Election Results by Threatening Second Amendment Rights of Citizens

The 2024 Presidential Election saw a large shift across the country, with Donald Trump winning all seven battlegrounds and receiving more votes in Democrat-controlled states than ever before, flipping many counties red in traditionally blue strongholds.

While this can be credited to the fact that President-Elect Trump connects more broadly with working-class citizens than do the self-proclaimed “elitists” on the left, much of the evolution is in response to the failures of the Democrats that have plagued Americans, especially over the past four years.

From inflation, border security, and migrant crime waves, to the woke administrative state being turned against political opponents and the handling of overseas conflicts, many Americans have been left hungry, exhausted, and desperate to return to a more prosperous time.

Despite the prevailing climate, and with a clear rejection of sanity and reason, it has become increasingly apparent that the extreme left in the United States refuses to learn from their lessons.

While this can be served up like low-hanging fruit to ridicule and despise, it can be used more efficiently and to benefit Americans as an opportunity, one that we pray Donald Trump’s second administration, including conservatives across the country, will seize, particularly when it comes to the Second Amendment.

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Federal Appeals Court Upholds Most of Restrictive New York Concealed Carry Gun Law; Next Stop SCOTUS
Federal Second Circuit Court of Appeals upholds “good moral character” requirement of New York’s concealed carry gun law, setting up expected showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court

We have been following the twists and turns of litigation battles associated with New York’s most recent concealed carry gun law. This is important, not only because it affects the constitutional rights of millions of law-abiding New York State citizens, but also because this case could be a bellwether for the country, should the U.S. Supreme Court decide to review the case and provide further guidance on the gun rights of citizens nationwide.

You may recall that it all started, as we reported, when SCOTUS struck down New York’s previous concealed carry gun law, which required citizens to make a showing of “special need” when applying for a carry permit, as violative of the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment, in the seminal New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen case:

We…now hold, consistent with Heller and McDonald, that the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.

The parties nevertheless dispute whether New York’s licensing regime respects the constitutional right to carry handguns publicly for self-defense. In 43 States, the government issues licenses to carry based on objective criteria.

But in six States, including New York, the government further conditions issuance of a license to carry on a citizen’s showing of some additional special need. Because the State of New York issues public-carry licenses only when an applicant demonstrates a special need for self-defense, we conclude that the State’s licensing regime violates the Constitution.

So after Bruen, as the case is typically called, New York could not require citizens to show a special need to get a concealed carry permit. And boy was Kathy Hochul, the far-left governor of New York, pissed: NY Gov. Hochul Loses Her Mind Over SCOTUS Ruling Striking Down Conceal Carry Law.

So pissed, in fact, that she rapidly called a special session of the New York legislature, and immediately passed a new concealed carry gun law even more restrictive than the previous one: New York Democrats Undermine Supreme Court 2nd Amendment Ruling In New Legislation.

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Heraldic Blazon of the Arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem:

Argent, a Cross Potent between four Crosses couped, Or.

This contravenes the heraldic rule of ‘no metal on metal’, in this case gold, Or, on silver Argent, but is considered intentional and excused due to the sacredness of Jerusalem,  the city of God.

That some imbeciles try to conflate the Jerusalem Cross with neo-nazi radicals is nothing more than a political ploy, a standard smear of the demoncrap moron.

 

 

STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

I am pleased to announce that Alex Wong will be appointed Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor, and Dr. Sebastian Gorka as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism.

Alex served during my First Term as the Deputy Special Representative for North Korea, and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of State. He was also my Nominee in the First Term to be U.S. Ambassador for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations. As Deputy Special Representative for North Korea, he helped negotiate my Summit with North Korean Leader, Kim Jong Un. Alex also led the State Department’s efforts to implement the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy.

Alex received his JD with High Honors from Harvard Law School, where he was the Managing Editor of the Harvard Law Review, and an Editor of the Harvard International Law Journal. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, and served as Chairman of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a Congressionally appointed panel. Alex previously served as the Foreign Policy Advisor and General Counsel to Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark). He also served for the State Department in Iraq as a Judicial and Anticorruption Advisor. Alex also spent years in private Legal practice, counseling Fortune 100 clients on International Trade and Governmental Investigations matters. He began his Legal career as a clerk for the Honorable Janice Rogers Brown of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Dr. Sebastian Gorka will be returning to the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism. Since 2015, Dr. Gorka has been a tireless advocate for the America First Agenda and the MAGA Movement, serving previously as Strategist to the President in the first Trump Administration.

Dr. Gorka is a legal immigrant to the United States, with more than 30 years of National Security experience. In 2015, he was one of my Advisors for the GOP Primary Debates on National Security. At the time, he held the Major General Matthew C. Horner Chair of Military Theory at the Marine University Foundation, and was a Guest Instructor at the JFK Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg. Prior to that, he was Associate Dean for Congressional Affairs and Relations to the Special Operations Community at National Defense University, and Kokkalis Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He is a Recipient of the DoD Joint Civilian Service Commendation awarded by USSOCOM for his work in Counterterrorism.

Dr. Gorka lives in Northern Virginia with his wife Katharine, who was a Presidential Appointee at the Department of Homeland Security, and Press Secretary for Customs and Border Protection in the first Trump Administration.

A Political Mandate in Support of Pro-Second Amendment Policy

When President-elect Trump takes office in January, his administration will inherit a powerful mandate to protect and expand Second Amendment rights. With unified control of Congress, this incoming administration has an unprecedented opportunity to enact meaningful regulatory and legislative changes that safeguards the constitutional rights of millions of Americans.

The message from voters in the November election could not be clearer. Americans across the country have voiced their support for safer communities and the fundamental right to self-defense. The new administration must deliver on its campaign promises to defend these essential liberties.

Americans from all walks of life – including various racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and political backgrounds – are increasingly choosing to be their family’s first line of defense. The growing support for Second Amendment protections across the country, coupled with a unified Congress that supports pro-gun policies, creates a unique moment for lawmakers to work with the President-elect in advancing long-overdo measures such as national concealed carry reciprocity. The administration should also look to eliminate Biden-era regulatory changes, including reducing burdensome red tape on firearm ownership, as well as ensure that our fundamental rights continue to be upheld for future generations.

Importantly, during his campaign, President Trump affirmed that “your Second Amendment does not end at the state line” and pledged to sign national concealed carry reciprocity into law. This commitment to national concealed carry reciprocity deserves to be a cornerstone of the administration’s domestic agenda. While the Second Amendment protects our constitutional right to bear arms, the current landscape of varying state regulations have created a complex and often contradictory legal environment for law-abiding citizens. More than half of U.S. states have already embraced constitutional or permitless carry, yet citizens still face significant legal uncertainty, including the threat of arrest, when traveling across certain state lines.

The solution is straightforward: establish a national framework that allows law-abiding gun owners to exercise their constitutional rights consistently throughout the country. This would not only strengthen individual liberties but also enhance personal safety and bring much-needed clarity to the legal landscape surrounding self-defense in America today.

Beyond reciprocity, the new administration must act swiftly to roll back the numerous harmful executive orders from the Biden-Harris Administration that have limited the right to self-defense for the last four years. The previous administration’s initiatives, including controversial so-called “red flag” laws that threaten due process rights, must be carefully reviewed and reformed. Similarly, the regulatory overreach of agencies like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives demands immediate attention. Overzealous regulations on firearms and the firearm industry ought to be reversed on Day One.

Similarly, the “White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention”, which has too often served as a political tool rather than a solution-oriented agency, should be dismantled or reorganized. Instead, resources must be redirected toward addressing the root causes of violence in our communities, with a particular focus on mental health support and evidence-based interventions that don’t infringe on constitutional rights. The new administration must instead focus on restoring the balance of self-defense rights—protecting citizens’ ability to self-protect while also ensuring that any regulations are rooted in the Constitution. This approach will help keep Americans’ right to bear arms protected.

The new administration’s ability to continue shaping the future of the judiciary, including appointing conservative judges who adhere to and respect our Constitution, further strengthens the future of Second Amendment rights in America. The Trump administration has the chance to ensure that Second Amendment freedoms remain a cornerstone of American democracy.

The USCCA’s For Saving Lives Action Fund, as one of the fastest-growing pro-Second Amendment organizations in the country, stands ready to support these crucial reforms while continuing to monitor state and local legislation that might threaten these fundamental rights. Our diverse membership, representing Americans from every corner of the country, demonstrates the broad support for responsible gun ownership and the right to self-defense.

This is more than just a political moment – it’s an opportunity to solidify the future of Second Amendment rights for generations to come. The incoming administration must seize this historic chance to demonstrate that protecting constitutional rights and ensuring public safety are not mutually exclusive goals. By implementing these reforms thoughtfully and decisively, we can create a safer America while preserving our essential liberties.

The American people have spoken, and their mandate is clear. The time has come for bold action to protect and strengthen Second Amendment rights. With a unified government and strong public support, there has never been a better moment to secure these fundamental freedoms for all Americans. Together, we can safeguard the rights of responsible gun owners and ensure that Americans remain empowered to protect themselves and their families.

DOD ‘Intentionally Delayed’ National Guard Deployment To The Capitol On Jan. 6

Federal bureaucrats within the Department of Defense (DoD) delayed the deployment of the National Guard on Jan. 6, 2021 and covered it up, according to a House Republican investigation of government conduct related to the Capitol riot.

On Thursday, Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., who is leading a review of the work completed by the partisan Jan. 6 probe run by then-Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, sent a letter to the inspector general for the Department of Defense demanding a correction to an agency report published in November 2021.

“This report was the final product of the DoD IG’s review into the events of January 6, and reviewed how the DoD responded to requests for support as the events unfolded,” Loudermilk, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight for the House Administration Committee, wrote. “Throughout the Subcommittee’s extensive investigation into the failures of January 6, 2021, we have discovered numerous flaws and inaccuracies in the report that your office has yet to appropriately address.”

Such flaws and inaccuracies, however, may have been part of a partisan cover-up after GOP lawmakers discovered the Pentagon was responsible for delays in guard deployment.

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Man killed during attempted Decatur break-in

DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — A break-in at a Decatur residence Monday evening left one dead and another injured.

According to a release from the Decatur Police Department, around 7:38 p.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting at a home int he 2000 block of E. Damon Avenue. They found a 35-year-old male and 66-year-old female inside, both with gunshot wounds.

Emergency medical personnel took both to the Decatur Memorial Hospital, where the man succumbed to his injuries. The woman sustained “non-life-threatening injuries,” according to Decatur Police.

Officers secured the crime scene at the residence before conducting a search of the property. Detectives recovered a handgun and four shell casings, which matched the caliber of the gun.

Witness statements and video surveillance footage indicated the woman was at her home when the man entered the property unlawfully. During this, a family member of the woman arrived at the home and encountered the man. He attempted to continue into the residence, when the family member shot at him with a handgun multiple times, striking him.

Further investigation revealed the man was on Mandatory Supervised Release through the Illinois Department of Corrections. He had no known association with the residence, Decatur Police added.

The family member, identified as a 48-year-old male, has a valid FOID card and active Concealed Carry License.

Decatur Police and the Macon County State’s Attorney are continuing with the investigation.

Why There Can’t Be Two Sets of Rules on Guns

Even in some of the most anti-gun states, there are groups that get exceptions to many restrictions. Police officers are often exempt from many gun control laws. They can buy stuff that you and I might not be able to, simply because of their status as law enforcement officers. They also get to keep those guns after they leave the profession in most cases.

And while police officers do an important job and many are outstanding in what they do, there shouldn’t be a different set of rules for them.

Understand that I’m not anti-cop. My father retired as a local police officer, then went back into uniform to serve as the chief of police in a small town nearby. I grew up around law enforcement and so I know something that a lot of people on both sides might not want to hear. Cops are people.

Because they’re people, there are good and bad individuals who wear a badge.
This comes up because of this case out of Connecticut.

NEW LONDON, CT — A judge has ordered a police officer accused of assaulting his girlfriend to stay away from the woman and surrender any weapons he has, according to The Day of New London.

Julio Gil-Martinez, 29, of New London, was arrested Saturday on a warrant and charged with first-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree strangulation, second-degree threatening, third-degree assault, and interfering with an emergency call, New London police said in a news release.

The arrest came after a victim went to the Waterford Police Department to report the incident, which was determined to have happened at a home in New London, according to police.

Gil-Martinez is currently on administrative leave, but this sort of makes the point about police officers.

They should be the best among us, but the truth is that they’re not. Some of the best among us become law enforcement officers but that same profession is attractive to all kinds of people who probably shouldn’t wear a uniform of any kind beyond a prison jumpsuit.

Now, I’m not saying Gil-Martinez is guilty. That’s for a court to decide and if he is, he deserves to rot in a cell for a good long time. He’s really not the point here, though.

The point is that police officers aren’t a special class that’s above reproach. They’re people.

So why do so many gun control laws exempt them, particularly with regard to what they do while off the job?

I get that they may face certain threats because of their job that many others never will–they do make enemies, after all–but some of us make enemies just fine without a badge. I mean, I write political commentary. Do you think I haven’t been threatened? Sure. Does that mean political commentators should get an exemption as well?

The answer from your average anti-gunner would likely be that no, we shouldn’t.

So then why do the police? Don’t get me wrong, I have no issue with cops having guns. I have no problem with them having all the guns. I just don’t like the double standard.

Here’s a thought: If police need special privileges in order to protect themselves from their enemies, then why not just lift the restrictions so that police offers stop getting special treatment and others can then defend themselves?

Unfortunately, for anti-gunners, that’s not acceptable.

See, the issue isn’t guns. It’s just guns in the hands of people who aren’t drawing a government paycheck.