Trump’s Conviction Highlights Silliness of One Particular Gun Law

Donald Trump has been convicted of his “hush money” case, though his sentencing was a big old nothing. He’s a felon who didn’t even get probation for his supposed crime–and I’m still not convinced he did anything illegal despite the jury’s ruling.

Regardless, though, our incoming president is a convicted felon, which is rather unique in American politics.

A piece at the AP, however, wants people to see this as something very different, apparently, because they point out how he can still vote, but he can’t own a firearm.

President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t have to go to jail, pay a fine or perform community service as a result of his New York hush money conviction. A judge ended the case Friday with a sentence of an unconditional discharge, closing the case with no punishment.

But unless the conviction for falsifying business records is someday overturned, Trump will have felonies on his criminal record, which will affect some of his rights.

Here are some of the potential impacts and some things that won’t change: 

…

Can he own a gun?

No. Under federal law, people convicted of felonies are not allowed to possess firearms.

Here’s why this is absolutely stupid.

Donald Trump will spend the next four years as President of the United States. He’ll have his proverbial finger on the nuclear button. He’ll be able to deploy the Marines anywhere he wants. He’ll be able to get Congress to back military action throughout the world.

He’ll have legions of guns, tanks, missiles, combat aircraft, and other combat vehicles at his beck and call. He’ll have the ability to shift the geopolitical landscape with a stroke of his pen.

But he can’t have a shotgun for trap shooting or a rifle for deer hunting.

Let that stew for a minute or two as we ponder the repercussions of this.

Trump is such a threat to the public that he got literally no sentence. He’ll still be able to serve as commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in the world. But because he gave money to a porn star so that she’d stay quiet–and he really deserves a refund–he can’t own a firearm.

As a private citizen, does Donald Trump represent a threat to the public? I phrase it this way because some will claim he’s a threat as president simply because they disagree with him. Remove him from politics entirely, where he has no political power, and what kind of threat to the public tranquility is he beyond saying things some people don’t like?

I get keeping habitually violent felons from owning firearms lawfully, but what makes us safer now that Trump can’t own a firearm?

The difference, though, is that Trump is surrounded by a protection detail that is there to protect him, at least in theory–though two assassination attempts against him suggest they might not be very good at their jobs–whereas most others who are convicted of non-violent offenses are just screwed.

Trump may not be as hosed as others in his legal situation, but it does highlight just how stupid some of this stuff actually is.