Trump Administration Declines Appeal in Major Second Amendment Victory for Gun Rights Advocates

Second Amendment advocates are celebrating a significant legal victory after the Trump administration chose not to appeal a federal court ruling that removes long-standing regulations on firearm suppressors and certain weapons. The decision by the Department of Justice allows the order to take effect without further legal challenge, marking what proponents describe as a watershed moment for gun rights.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., a former firearms business owner now serving in Congress, characterized the development as “the greatest restoration” of Second Amendment protections in nearly a century. Clyde spearheaded legislative efforts last year to eliminate the $200 federal tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns that had been established under the National Firearms Act of 1934. His One Big Beautiful Bill Act successfully zeroed out the tax, which gun rights groups then leveraged in court to argue that the accompanying federal registration requirements were unconstitutional without the tax component.

Clyde contended that imposing a tax on a constitutional right effectively nullifies it, rendering the right unenforceable for those unable to afford the levy. He sent a letter signed by 47 Republican lawmakers to Attorney General Todd Blanche urging the DOJ not to appeal the ruling, arguing that doing so would perpetuate regulatory uncertainty for gun owners and businesses while defending an indefensible legal position.

Gun violence prevention groups condemned the administration’s inaction. Kris Brown, president of Brady: United Against Gun Violence, stated that the decision leaves Americans less safe as silencers and other weapons have been deregulated for the first time in nearly a century. The ruling applies only to the parties involved in the lawsuit and does not constitute a nationwide injunction affecting all Americans.