Giffords Gets New DOJ Policy on D.C. Rifle and Shotgun Carry All Wrong

There are still a lot of unanswered questions about DOJ’s new policy on not prosecuting some instances of individuals carrying rifles and shotguns in the District of Columbia, but that’s not stopping the gun control group Giffords from weighing in. 

As you can imagine, the anti-gun outfit isn’t thrilled with the DOJ’s new guidance. But their response goes beyond mere criticism, and crosses over into the realm of misinformation. 

The Trump admin is telling criminals they can ignore the law and walk around DC with AR-15s. That’s the opposite of “law abiding gun owners.”

This is what happens when you care more about sucking up to gun industry CEOs than enforcing the law and reducing crime.

— GIFFORDS (@GIFFORDS_org) August 20, 2025

It’s amazing that such a short post can get so much wrong, so congrats to Giffords for their accomplishment. 

First, as Pirro herself stated, felons illegally possessing a rifle or shotgun (or “large capacity” magazine) will continue to face felony charges under the DOJ’s new guidance. Here’s what she told the Washington Post:

“Nothing in this memo from the Department of Justice and the Office of Solicitor General precludes the United States Attorney’s Office from charging a felon with the possession of a firearm, which includes a rifle, shotgun, and attendant large capacity magazine pursuant to DC Code 22-4503. What it does preclude is a separate charge of possession of a registered rifle or shotgun.”

Note that Pirro mentioned possession of a registered rifle or shotgun. That at least suggests that individuals possessing an unregistered long gun could also face felony charges, even visitors who can lawfully possess their long gun in their home state. 

D.C.’s ban on so-called assault weapons covers AR-15s, so there are no registered AR-15s in the District of Columbia, which also suggests that anyone walking around D.C. with an AR-15 is still going to face federal prosecution. And Pirro’s statement even indicates that her office will continue to prosecute the possession of “large capacity” magazines, at least in some circumstances, which should thrill the gun control groupi. 

Maybe we’ll get further clarification from Pirro or DOJ that will prove Giffords correct, but at the moment they seem to be ignoring the fine print and details about DOJ’s new policy so they can bust out their talking points about “gun industry CEOs”. 

How gun companies stand to benefit from this is beyond me, unless Giffords believes that this guidance is going to lead to an explosion of sales in D.C.-compliant shotguns and rifles among District residents. But as Rob Romano with the Firearms Policy Coalition has documented, ever since the assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December, the group has gone after “gun industry CEOs” at every opportunity, so I guess they just saw this as another chance to vilify the heads of gun companies. 

The DOJ policy change is significant, but it’s also not likely to have much effect on D.C. law enforcement or gun owners. The vast majority of residents aren’t going to openly carry a long gun for self-defense, even if they’re now able to do (at least in some circumstances) without worrying about copping a federal felony gun charge. And the vast majority of visitors aren’t going to go through the lengthy and time-consuming process of registering their long guns with the Metropolitan Police Department before they enter the District of Columbia. 

Again, if the DOJ comes out with additional guidance and specifics on this policy maybe it will be a broader change than what it looks like at the moment, but based on all available information, Giffords’ post is blatantly false on multiple levels. 

Editor’s Note: Don’t be surprised if the mainstream media picks up on Giffords’ falsehoods. 

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