Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Gun Owners of America isn’t mad at the Department of Justice because it’s trendy. GOA is mad because DOJ keeps stepping on rakes, picking the rake back up, and then insisting it’s actually the most pro-rake department in history.
Under Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Department of Justice keeps insisting it’s a friend of the Second Amendment while actively acting like the guy who “supports your diet” by bringing donuts to every meeting. Lots of talk. Zero discipline.
GOA isn’t alone here. Across the gun-rights world, patience is wearing thinner than an ATF interpretation letter.
Groups, like Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation, and National Association for Gun Rights, are all looking at DOJ and asking the same question: Why are you fighting us harder than the people who actually hate gun owners?
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The frustration really boils over with DOJ actively opposing GOA in its challenge to the National Firearms Act. DOJ’s argument boils down to a vague, squishy standard about “particularly dangerous weapons,” which sounds less like constitutional law and more like something scribbled on a whiteboard at a gun-control think tank in Berkeley.
When your legal theory could’ve been copy-pasted from California, something has gone very wrong.
Then there’s DOJ’s habit of trying to “moot” gun-rights cases instead of letting courts issue permanent rulings. That’s legal speak for “let’s quietly make this go away and hope nobody notices.”
DOJ says the ATF has turned over a new leaf, learned its lesson, and would never reoffend. That’s adorable. It’s also the legal equivalent of trusting the fox because he promised not to check on the henhouse anymore.
This strategy matters because temporary fixes don’t survive elections. Without binding court judgments, the next hostile administration can snap these policies right back into place like nothing ever happened.
DOJ knows this. Gun owners know this. Which makes DOJ’s behavior feel less like incompetence and more like deliberate foot-dragging.
The double standard is impossible to ignore. When the ACLU sued over Trump-era border policies, DOJ under Biden flipped sides instantly, agreed to an injunction, and cut a $6 million check for attorneys’ fees.
When GOA wins, DOJ suddenly forgets how settlement works and starts clutching the government checkbook like it’s their own wallet.
And let’s not forget DOJ’s role in the Reese v. ATF mess, where it tried to condition relief on gun-rights groups turning over membership lists. Because nothing screams “civil liberties” like asking advocacy groups to hand the government a roster of their supporters.
DOJ even argued that unconstitutional laws should keep being enforced against as many people as possible. That’s not a typo. That was the position.
At one point, DOJ seriously argued that only people who were members of gun-rights groups five years ago should benefit from a ruling protecting 18-to-20-year-olds. Which is impressive, because it manages to be legally absurd and temporally impossible at the same time.
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All of this raises an uncomfortable question: why does DOJ seem more interested in preserving bureaucratic power than locking in real 2A wins?
Because from the outside, it looks like DOJ wants gun owners stuck in a permanent election-cycle hostage situation (vote red or this all comes back) instead of actually fixing the problem.
That’s not what gun owners voted for. And it’s definitely not what “most pro-Second Amendment DOJ ever” is supposed to look like.
If Pam Bondi wants that title, the solution isn’t another press release or a symbolic office buried inside DOJ. It’s simple: stop fighting GOA and every other major gun-rights group in court. Work with them. Secure permanent rulings. Tie the ATF’s hands for good.
Because right now, DOJ isn’t acting like an ally. It’s acting like that friend who swears they’ve got your back, right before you hear them testifying for the other side.
And gun owners are done pretending not to notice.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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Well said! IMO, Bondi has been an albatros to President Trump since day one. “The Epstein files are sitting on my desk.”
What’s your game AG Bondi? Why do you persistantly misrepresent your real clients, and instead support the left? Why did President Trump publically tell you to get moving on arrests, etc, only to have you continue to drag your heels on everything?
Very good, truthful and accurate article. Thoroughly explains the self-serving actions of politicians .
The explanation is quite simply, really. This DOJ bends to the whim of the current president who wants to rule with an iron fist. An armed populace is the biggest threat to dictatorial rule. Gun owners will be the next “illegal aliens” for the DOJ to send ICE after. All they will do is rip the Velcro patches off their vests and replace them with ATF. The DOJ is actually the Department of Trumps Revenge. History is full of dictators disarming the citizens of their countries.
Trusting any government is like thinking a Rattle Snake won’t Strike as you attempt to pet it 🙄😵💫
NEVER TRUST ANY GOVERNMENT OR ANYONE EMPLOYED BY ANY GOVERNMENT !!! 🖕
GET some Serious, FINALIZED F’n ANSWERS !
And STOP COMPLAINING LIKE LITTLE BITCHES ! 🙄🤷🏻♂️
Nice article that explained zero about the issue being addressed. All it says is that you are mad at ATF. Over some unstated objection.
Are you people really stupid enough to believe that anyone in this administration gives a shit about your gun rights? The ONLY reason they even ACT like they care is for support from that group of people.US. Yes, Trump is way better than the alternatives, but he ain’t giving you anything he doesn’t have to. And pammy is only there to take care of his agenda. And the 2A ain’t on that list. Just like the supreme circus. Fast treack anything he even thinks of, but 20 year old CONSTITUTIONAL issues remain un-resolved. Wake up idiots.
Larry,
Thank you, Man!
Straight to the point!
Your writing today would’ve had me in stitches from laughter, if not for the seriousness of the topic.
The problem is there is no penalty for not Honoring your word, to the People.
You have to remember two things: first, part of Bondi’s job description is to defend the laws of the federal government. Second, unless there is controversy, there is no case for the judiciary to rule on and no ladder of appeals to get a decision at the highest level. We’ll get our answer on 20 January when we hear John Sauer’s arguments in front of SCOTUS for Wolford v. Lopez. And Harmeet Dhillon is doing a good job in supporting suits against infringing State laws. Wins there lay a legal foundation for fights at the federal level. So ask me again the afternoon of 20 January, that’s when we really know what to think of this AG.
The federal government can’t be trusted to do the right thing. Those days have long passed. The only peaceful solution we have left to set our errant government back on course is an Article V Convention of States. It’s high time the American people used our Constitution to set the rules.
Last year Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were murdered. The person accused of her murder, Vance Boelter, was appointed by Tim Waltz and Boelter’s wife worked for Waltz. Boelter claimed in a written confession that Governor Waltz ordered the murder of Hartman. Mellisa Hartman was the only Democrat in Minnesota to vote against continuing healthcare for illegal aliens. In light of these facts, it’s easy to connect the dots but is it easy to believe the suggestion? Not really, but it’s also hard to believe that any Governor would allow billions of dollars in fraud to be committed against the state and federal taxpayers. People have killed for much less.
The financial crimes connected to Waltz are not easy to explain away and thus the leap from massive fraud to murder becomes much more believable. Hartman wanted the bill killed, why did Boelter want Hartman killed? How dirty is Waltz? Would you trust Pam Bondi with this case?
Really? Quit reading the internet conspiracy crap! Boelter was a right wing, religious freak who was on a bipartisan committee that was put together by the previous administration. All Walz did was to continue the bipartisan committee. Boelter and his wife had no connection to or appointments from Walz. Living in Minnesota I can winess that the investigation into the fraud perpertrated during the Covid years has been extensively reported on and followed by the media; ie. no coverup has been made. The idea that Walz was involved is/are ludicrous Trump/magat inspired lies. Get a life, do some REAL research before spewing.
WOW, you are so credible because you live in MN and claim that “the fraud perpertrated during the Covid years has been extensively reported on and followed by the media; ie. no coverup has been made.” Guess your dismissive post proves the world is still free of conspiracies, glad I no longer have to worry about Paul Wellstone’s death.
Here’s the problem with people like you. You never specifically address what I wrote, and your points are dubious and irrelevant.
The reporting by the media was evident years ago and that is a secondary issue. The primary issue is that despite the many red flags over more than 10 years, the fraud continued for years. Drop the misdirect and explain that fact.
Here are the FACTS on Boelter, he was first appointed by Democrat Mark Dayton (NARAL) and reappointed by Waltz with the written words, “because of the special trust and confidence I have in your integrity, judgment, and ability.” Are you now saying that Waltz signed a document with that untrue statement?
Boelter may have years ago cast a vote for a Republican, but he is listed in documents in 2016 and 2020 as having “no preference” or clear political affiliation. What is your proof that VB “was a right wing.” Better NOT use the “internet conspiracy crap!”
Why did you NOT comment on the facts I wrote about Hortman?
“Just days before the fatal shooting, Hortman provided the sole Democratic vote in Minnesota’s lower chamber to pass a Republican bill that would strip adult undocumented migrants of state-funded healthcare. The bill passed the House in a 68-65 vote, with Hortman’s vote helping Republicans secure its passage, which left Hortman in tears.”-Newsweek 6/14/2025
Your statement, “Boelter was a right wing, religious freak who was on a bipartisan committee that was put together by the previous administration,” is currently unsupported supposition, provide the facts and sources. There is no proof VB was “right wing” the church he attended, Jordan Family Church, has no history of any radicalism, the “previous administration” was Democrat Governor Mark Dayton (NARAL). There are many statements attributed to VB that are mostly from anonymous sources and of limited value. Curiously, The Minnesota State Patrol (MSP) did find “No Kings” flyers in the VB’s car.
Unlike you, everything I wrote had a basis in fact, notwithstanding a misspelled last name. You got plenty of typos.
You have no leverage just because you claim to be from MN. So, I did a little research and found nothing you wrote stands up to scrutiny. Go back and try again. In the meantime, stop trying to be lazy and bluff, get some integrity, and stop being a hypocrite and follow your own lame advise, get a life, do some REAL research before spewing.
both sides promise the world then stab you in the back as you walk away happy. there is way too much money being made over the 2A with all the controversies.
Lol, wackjob
coming from you i assume you were giving me a compliment……….commie cultist.
Democrats wasted no time in charging Bannon, Manafort, Papadopoulos, Navarro, Giuliani, Stone, Powell etc on bogus charges with jail time.
The feds can threaten family and friends where people like General Flynn had to take a plea even though he and his son broke no laws and are in fact patriotic Americans.
Bondi has NOT brought one charge against the dirtiest Democrats and/or traitors in the US (Comey, Klintons, Bidens, James, Brennan, Strzok, McCabe, Bolton etc).
Joe Kennedy made sure that JFK appointed RFK for AG, which now has been outlawed for family members. Joe Kennedy would not trust the deep state career two faced opportunists. The AG has to be trustworthy and loyal to the POTUS and RFK was the only option.
Holder and Garland were like Stalin’s secret police chief Lavrentiy Beria.
Trumps first two AG’s, Sessions and Barr, were deep state insiders who betrayed the POTUS.
What has Bondi accomplished? She has mishandled the Epstein files and the Comey case in the grandest of fashion.
The only Democrat she has brought charges against is Maduro.
Beware of Pam Bondi.
Lol, wackjob
A real “wackjob” will keep pasting this same meaningless post over and over again. A total imbecile will criticize without the ability to refute.
Got any opinion worth listing?