In the wake of a tragic shooting in Minnesota, some conservative voices—including prominent commentators and alleged sources within the Department of Justice—have floated the idea of banning transgender individuals from owning or purchasing firearms.

But national gun rights organizations are pushing back hard, calling the proposal unconstitutional and discriminatory.

Conservative Voices Call for a Ban

The debate intensified after reports identified the Minnesota shooter as a male who claimed to be a female. Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk posted on X:

“If you are crazy enough to want to hormonally and surgically ‘change your sex,’ you have a mental disorder, and you are too crazy to own a firearm.”

Other commentators echoed similar sentiments, framing gender identity as a mental health concern that should disqualify individuals from gun ownership.

Multiple news outlets have reported that sources inside President Trump’s Department of Justice are discussing the possibility of a transgender firearm ban. While the DOJ has not publicly confirmed these reports, the speculation has sparked widespread concern among gun rights advocates.

Gun Groups Respond: “No Compromise”

National gun organizations quickly mobilized in opposition. Their message: the Second Amendment applies to all law-abiding Americans.

Gun Owners of America stated:

“Gun Owners of America does not compromise with our support for the right of all people to keep and bear arms.”

National Rifle Association (NRA) added:

“The NRA supports the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans… [and] will not support any policy proposals that implement sweeping gun bans that arbitrarily strip law-abiding citizens of their rights without due process.”

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) called out hypocrisy:

“It really is a tragedy that those who benefit greatly from the rights protected under the Second Amendment are the first to throw others under the yoke of disarmament.”

Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) issued a strongly worded statement:

“Disarming trans individuals based purely on their self-identification flies in the face of the Constitution… the policy reportedly being contemplated is worthy of the strongest possible condemnation and legal action.”

National Association for Gun Rights emphasized due process:

“Taking rights away from any American without due process is an affront to the Constitution. All ex parte gun bans are unconstitutional.”

Citizens for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms added:

“Prohibiting whole groups of people from owning and using firearms because a sick individual misused a gun… is as reprehensible as restricting the rights of all law-abiding citizens because some people have committed crimes.”

Idaho Lawmakers Weigh In

The conversation has reached Idaho, where several lawmakers have shared posts and comments online in response to the Minnesota shooting.

Shortly after the incident, Libs of TikTok identified the shooter as transgender. Rep. Heather Scott (R–Blanchard) reposted the story, commenting:

“Extreme times call for extreme measures.”

While Scott did not specify what measures she supported, she later posted that she was “glad Idaho was not Minnesota,” referencing Minnesota’s push for additional gun restrictions.

Sen. Tammy Nichols (R–Middleton) also shared Scott’s post, adding:

“Maybe there is a group that shouldn’t have access to guns? Maybe certain chemical altering drugs should be considered?”

Many commenters interpreted Nichols’s remarks as support for banning transgender individuals from firearm ownership. Nichols later clarified that she was not advocating for gun control, but was merely asking a question for discussion.

Nichols is one of the few lawmakers who has weighed in on the issue. Several days later, Nichols shared a post, similar to ones shared by many national outlets, that discussed the DOJ’s alleged internal discussions about a transgender gun ban, asking her followers:

“What say you?”

Many comments again reiterated opposition to the concept. Some supported the idea of a ban.

Finally, Nichols posted a poll earlier today from 670 KBOI asking whether individuals diagnosed with gender dysmorphia should be banned from owning firearms. At the time of her post, 79% of respondents said yes. The total number of votes was not visible in the shared image.

Nichols commented in her post:

“This is not my poll, but it is local and has a wide conservative listening audience.”

Idaho Dispatch located the poll on KBOI’s website. While the vote count remains undisclosed, the current results show 74% in favor of a ban and 26% opposed.

Idaho Dispatch reached out to Sen. Nichols for comment on the issue. She told Idaho Dispatch in a statement:

“We have a problem going on in our nation, and not talking about it isn’t going to make it go away. John Lott (a gun rights advocate)points out that per-capita, mass shootings are higher among transgender individuals, and several recent incidents involved transgender shooters. Untreated mental health issues, chemically brain altering drugs, and gun free zones have made things worse. I’m forcing this sometimes uncomfortable conversation, and responsible gun owners need to be part of that discussion and solution. I proudly support the Second Amendment and our right to protect our communities, while having an open and honest discussion.”

Do you believe people who identify as transgender should be banned from owning or purchasing firearms? Let us know in the comments section below.

Note: The Idaho Second Amendment Alliance, which I founded and run, has come out in opposition to banning any class of people from owning guns and called for a focus on getting rid of gun-free zones and for looking into the effects of SSRI’s and the role they might play in these tragedies.