Post-Ninth Circuit Ruling: Only Donald Trump Can Save Our Gun Rights

The Ninth Circuit’s ruling that Americans have no right to carry a concealed handgun outside the home for self-defense made one thing clear: only Donald Trump can save our gun rights now.

Hillary Clinton cannot save them. In fact, she has made clear her plans to abolish the Second Amendment. And Antonin Scalia can no longer protect them, although a truer bulwark for the Second Amendment never lived. But Donald Trump can do it, and in keeping his pledge to put “somebody just like Justice Scalia” on the court, he will protect our guns from leftists in elected offices and federal courtrooms across America.

On February 14, the day after Scalia’s death, Trump appeared on Meet the Press and responded to questions about nominating a replacement: “Look, we need great intellect. We need, I think, absolutely conservative. But the real…I think the real plan forward would be somebody just like Justice Scalia.” Clinton, on the other hand, has made clear her belief that Scalia was all wrong about the Second Amendment and that she wants to see District of Columbia v Heller (2008) reversed.

This teaches us a clear lesson: when the 9th Circuit’s ruling against the right to carry a gun outside the home is appealed to the Supreme Court, we need the 9th Justice to be one Trump nominated, rather than one Clinton handpicked to undermine the Constitution.

In addition to their positions on a replacement for Scalia, we must remember there are strong practical differences between Trump and Clinton in day-to-day policy. For example, during the June 5 airing of This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Clinton said:

I’m going to continue to speak out for comprehensive background checks, closing the “gun show loophole,” closing the “online loophole,” closing the so-called “Charleston loophole,” reversing the bill that Senator Sanders voted for and I voted against, giving immunity from liability to gun makers and sellers.

This does not even include her October 16 admission that she believes an Australian-style gun ban is “worth looking at” for gun policy in the U.S.

On the other hand, Trump believes concealed carry is a right, just like the right to own a gun in the first place. And he believes a concealed carry license from any state ought to be recognized in every state. In fact, Trump is a concealed carry license holder.

Moreover, Trump opposes the expansion of background checks, he opposes an “assault weapons” ban, he opposes a “high capacity” magazine ban, he opposes zones that keep law-abiding citizens defenseless on campuses and military bases, and he supports harsh penalties against armed criminals instead of gun makers.

The differences between the two candidates could not be more stark. And now, thanks to the 9th Circuit, the stakes are even higher.

Of the two candidates, only one can save our gun rights. Scratch that; only one will save our gun rights. And that one is Donald Trump.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.