Left-Wing Groups Suddenly Discover The Second Amendment

Democrats spent years pushing for gun restrictions. Now they’re rushing to buy firearms and invoking Second Amendment rights after federal agents killed a licensed gun owner in Minneapolis.

The shift has drawn accusations of hypocrisy from conservative critics. Writing in The Hill, columnist Robby Soave noted that progressives “favor all sorts of restrictions on gun ownership” yet now champion constitutional gun rights following Alex Pretti’s death. The ACLU even backpedaled on whether it supports concealed carry rights for protesters, Soave wrote.

Former Minnesota Democrat Rep. Dean Phillips offered an admission on social media. “For years I quietly mocked 2A defenders who argued arms were necessary to defend American rights against a tyrannical government,” Phillips wrote. “Today I apologize, because I’ve seen it with my own eyes.” (RELATED: Gun Rights Groups Urge ‘Responsible Public Voices’ In Aftermath Of MN Shooting)

The political awakening has translated into real numbers. The Liberal Gun Club saw membership jump from 2,700 to 4,500 since November, NPR reported. Training requests increased fivefold. A University of Chicago study found gun ownership among Democrats rose seven percentage points between 2010 and 2022.

American gun culture has long been dominated by conservative, white men. Now, a growing number of liberals are buying firearms. https://t.co/dFUPXl9T8r https://t.co/dFUPXl9T8r

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) September 20, 2024

Left-leaning gun groups have struggled to meet surging demand since Border Patrol agents shot Pretti on Jan. 25, CNN reported. The 37-year-old ICU nurse held a valid permit to carry his concealed weapon. L.A. Progressive Shooters sold out weekend classes through March. Pink Pistols Twin Cities saw permit course registrations jump from five people per class to 25.

“In the past couple of days, there has been a shift,” Lara Smith, national spokesperson for the Liberal Gun Club, told CNN. “This changed views on the left.”

Philip Smith, founder of the National African American Gun Association (NAGA), told CNN his group’s membership grew after Trump took office and after Pretti’s death. “People join when they’re scared,” he said.

The 2024 Democratic Party platform removed all recognition of the Second Amendment, according to The Hill. Now those same voters are lining up at shooting ranges.

“He’s a gun guy. He’s a guy who carries. He trains,” Lara Smith said of Pretti. “And when I say one of us, I mean one of the gun community.”