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Michael Cargill, a firearms trainer and 2A activist, spearheaded the effort to overturn Donald Trump’s 2018 bump stock ban, but despite beating the Don in the courtroom, he remains a Trump supporter.
Cargill’s legal win came in June when the Supreme Court ruled in his favor against Merrick Garland, President Biden’s attorney general, regarding the use of bump stocks.
These range novelties, as we all know, attach to a rifle’s stock and allow it to fire more quickly by using recoil to assist one in “bumping” the trigger.
Trump’s ban on bump stocks followed the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, where the device was reportedly used.
Cargill, however, expressed disappointment with Trump’s decision, telling The Telegraph in a recent interview, “I thought this was crazy… they decided they were going to ban it in my state, for me to not be able to possess [it], and so I thought it was insane and I was going to fight that.”
Despite his frustration with Trump’s stance on bump stocks, Cargill still plans to vote for him in 2024. He explained his perspective.
“Originally I was a Democrat, voted in every Democratic primary, every Democratic election,” he said. “I switched parties and switched to the Republican Party because I figured the Second Amendment rights would be more defended under the Republican Party.”
SEE ALSO: Why You Still Can’t Possess Bump Stocks in Certain States
Cargill is firm in his belief that the 2A guarantees citizens access to the same firearms as the military. In his training courses, he sees people from all walks of life—doctors, lawyers, teachers, women, and even those with disabilities.
He recalls, “I’ve had someone with no arms get their license to carry handgun with us.”
Cargill was critical of Democrats, particularly Kamala Harris and her vice-presidential running mate Gov. Tim Walz, calling them “gun grabbers.”
His shift to the Republican Party was driven by his belief that gun rights would be better protected under their platform.
“I don’t care if you’re an R, I don’t care if you’re a D, I don’t care if you’re an L. If you do anything that looks like it’s going to trample over the Second Amendment rights, then I’m going to be there to put my foot in your throat.”
Cargill’s loyalty to Trump reflects his larger commitment to preserving gun rights, despite disagreements over specific policies like the bump stock ban. He remains firm in his stance: “I vote my pocketbook, and I vote my safety.”
Amen to that!
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this is what get’s us into trouble, the constant compromise! ‘ But it’s better than the alternative,’ they say. This type of thinking will NEVER get us better candidates. Trump is about pro 2nd A as he is pro Life. Trump is a Populist plain and simple.
Trump is the only president to ever say take their guns first and worry about the law later. You all are damn fools.
The Vegas concert, murders/ shooting/ thing, seemed contrived and manufactured to generate hatred for the AR and bumpstocks and launch a new campaign against the second amendment and still leaves a bunch of unanswered questions. It seemed incredibly unfair to the bumpstock manufacturer. The murderer had far more deadly means available to him, aircraft, explosives, if his goal had been to simply murder a large number of innocents