Former U.S. President Donald Trump was seen admiring a firearm during his South Carolina visit, igniting a flurry of speculation on social media about whether he bought the gun.
What Happened: Trump was reportedly interested in buying a Glock handgun while in South Carolina, according to information shared by his campaign. A video was released showing Trump inspecting a gun, named “Trump 45”, inscribed with his likeness.
This led to numerous social media posts alleging that Trump had bought the gun. A campaign post, which was later taken down, seemed to confirm these allegations by stating that Trump “purchases” the Glock.
The former president was seen saying, “I want to buy one,” and “Isn’t a Glock a great gun?” at the event. However, despite posing with the gun for photos, he did not actually buy it. During the visit, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was part of Trump’s entourage.
Trump is currently indicted in four criminal cases, and buying the gun would have been a legal violation. In light of the controversy, the Trump campaign clarified that “President Trump did not purchase or take possession of the firearm. He simply indicated that he wanted one.”
See Also: RNC Threatens To Cancel GOP Debate If New Hampshire Primary Date Moves Up
Why It Matters: Trump’s interest in firearms comes amidst a heated debate regarding gun control in the U.S. In a speech at a National Rifle Association (NRA) event, Trump suggested that the rise in mass shootings in the U.S. was due to “genetically engineered” cannabis and mental health issues, rather than a “gun problem”.
Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, has criticized the Republicans for allowing “gun culture” to persist unchecked in the country. She accused the Republicans of prioritizing the protection of the Second Amendment over their duty to safeguard the “unalienable rights to life liberty and pursuit of happiness”.
U.S. President Joe Biden has been advocating for stricter gun control measures and has urged Republicans in Congress to join him in implementing “common sense” reforms, following a series of deadly shootings across the nation.
Photo by Frederic Legrand – COMEO on Shutterstock
Read Next: The owners of this brand-new phone can make money by playing video games, listening to music or reading the news. Its makers just hit $50 million in revenue and that’s only one-tenth of what they have planned.
Engineered by Benzinga Neuro, Edited by
Shivdeep Dhaliwal
The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system exploits the extensive Benzinga Ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to create comprehensive and timely stories for you.
Learn more.