A tragic shooting at a Minnesota Catholic school reignited baseless claims of “an ‘epidemic’ of violence from the trans community.” The shooter reportedly filed for a legal name change in 2019, and after the shooting, USA Today wrote, “Right-wing commentators, congresspeople and influencers seized on a now-2-year old narrative that America is witnessing an ‘epidemic’ of violence from the trans community.” There is no evidence to corroborate such claims, as Media Matters and other outlets have reported. [USA Today, 8/27/25, 8/29/25; Media Matters, 2/13/24; FactCheck.org, 9/17/25]

After the shooting, there were reports that the Department of Justice was considering a ban on transgender Americans owning firearms. While one Justice Department official told CNN a ban would be intended “to ensure that mentally ill individuals suffering from gender dysphoria are unable to obtain firearms while they are unstable and unwell,” another confessed to a Daily Wire reporter, “We’re not playing semantics with words like dysphoria. We’re talking about t-------, and we don’t think they should have guns.” [CNN, 9/4/25; Twitter/X, 9/4/25]

This is an escalation of a yearslong conservative campaign against transgender Americans, which is now bolstered by the Trump administration. Since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage in 2015, right-wing media and politicians have rallied around anti-trans policies and ideas. Ten years later, more than half the states in the union have banned “best practice medication and surgical care for transgender youth,” and President Donald Trump continues to encroach upon the rights of trans citizens with executive orders, many of which have been modeled on recommendations from the Project 2025 blueprint for the GOP administration. [Movement Advancement Project, accessed 9/23/25; Media Matters, 2/11/25; New York Times, 4/16/23]

“It would be establishing, as a matter of federal law, that transgenderism is a mental illness … and if you have it, you’re mentally defective,” The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles asserted. Knowles claimed the federal government “would not have to pass a single additional law” to enact such a ban because it could claim transgender people collectively are too mentally ill to handle guns under preexisting policy. [The Daily Wire, The Michael Knowles Show, 9/5/25]

Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire argued for the ban by claiming that trans people are “deeply disconnected from reality” and “belong to a demographic with an astronomical suicide rate.” Earlier in his monologue, Walsh said, “If I walk into a gun shop and I'm talking to myself and acting erratic, and then I announce that I am Genghis Khan and I need to purchase firearms because I'm raising an army in Central Asia to go invade China and bring down the Jin dynasty or whatever, then, no, I don't think they should actually sell me the gun.” [The Daily Wire, The Matt Walsh Show, 9/8/25]

During an episode of The Five, Fox host Jesse Watters argued that being trans was previously considered a mental illness. Co-host Greg Gutfeld claimed trans gun ownership is a nonissue because only “four trans people want guns.”  [Fox News, The Five, 9/4/25]

During an episode of Hannity, OutKick host Riley Gaines said, “It really boils down to this: If you think that people who believe that men can be women … are mentally ill, then I think it’s pretty clear-cut.” Host Sean Hannity claimed that hormone therapy can “alter moods dramatically.” A 2021 systematic review of studies on gender-affirming hormone therapy found that it “was associated with increased QOL [quality of life], decreased depression, and decreased anxiety.” [Fox News, Hannity, 9/4/25; National Library of Medicine, Journal of the Endocrine Society, 2/2/21]

“This could be, again, an amazing way of wrong-footing Democrats,” The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro remarked. “Now Trump is going to force Democrats into the unenviable position of saying that law-abiding, not-transgender Americans should not have guns because school shootings might occur, but transgender Americans should have the right to buy guns,” Shapiro quipped. He later conceded to red flag laws, saying, “Red-flagging significant mental illness seems like a fairly decent way to prevent the dissemination of guns among people who probably shouldn’t have them.” Shapiro referred to trans citizens as “Americans with gender identity disorder,” several times throughout the segment. [The Daily Wire, The Ben Shapiro Show, 9/5/25]

“It is akin to a fork in chess,” podcaster Tim Pool said. “Democrats will be forced to argue in favor of gun rights … or they’re going to have to abandon trans as a demographic.” Though Pool said he agreed trans people should be able to own guns, guest Connor Tomlinson argued, “I think it’s entirely consistent with having a republic capable of guaranteeing its own security with an armed citizenry and banning crazy, demented transsexuals from owning firearms that they will use on people other than themselves.” [Rumble, TimCast IRL, 9/5/25]

Podcaster Buck Sexton said, “This is gonna get very contentious with Democrats” because “the trans community has been elevated by the left as, really, the preeminent and ultimate victim status individuals in America today.” Sexton did not outright advocate for or against the proposed ban but said that “the discussion is important” because it asks if “being trans [is] a mental health issue and is it something that should be treated as a serious mental health issue that has public safety risk.” Sexton also cast doubt on the seriousness of the anti-trans movement, specifically saying he was “not seeing” the “epidemic of anti-trans violence.” Media Matters previously found that from 2020-2024, television news consistently dedicated little coverage to fatal anti-trans violence. [YouTube, The Buck Sexton Show, 9/5/25; Media Matters, 2/17/21, 5/17/22, 6/8/23, 3/14/24, 5/13/25]

In comments on The Daily Wire’s story, some readers noted the proposed gun ownership ban could open the doors for other such bans. “This is a bad idea. Not every trans is a killer and not every killer is a trans. This opens the door to blanket gun bans for all,” wrote one reader. “Nope nope nope,” wrote another. “This is akin to red flag laws. You need them to be medically diagnosed as mentally ill, otherwise it is just pejorative government targeting of whatever group the[y] deem fit.” Another reader pleaded, “Conservatives resist this move! Remember, once government has this power, [who's] deemed mentally ill will be decided by those in power.” [The Daily Wire, 9/4/25; comments accessed 9/4/25, 9/4/25, 9/4/25] 

Shapiro also received some pushback from viewers in the comments section of the episode in which he discussed the ban. “Disappointed in Ben for not pushing back on the anti 2a stuff,” one viewer stated. Another added, “When it comes to mental health and firearm ownership, I think it's a slippery slope. If we say Gender Dysphoria disqualifies you, then next will be Autism, Depression, Anxiety, ADD, ADHD, and so on. Perhaps a better alternative is to getting a clearance from a Mental Health professional. I own guns and I wouldn't mind getting a clearance. I already visit counselors anyway. Leaving it to the government causes problems.” [The Daily Wire, 9/5/25; comments accessed 9/5/25, 9/5/25]

Knowles sparred with commenters on X who suggested the proposed legislation is based on “thought crime.” Others drew further comparisons to red flag laws and referenced the Second Amendment’s “shall not be infringed” statement. [Twitter/X, 9/4/25, 9/4/25, 9/4/25]

Poll results from OutKick’s Clay Travis showed a high level of support for the ban from social media users, but droves of comments told another story. “Hard oppose. 2A is a constitutional matter,” said one user. “Unless an individual has been adjudicated guilty and had the right removed under those circumstances, it is what it is. I'm not saying this is ‘safe’ policy; I'm saying that it's the law of the land and we erode it at our peril.” Another user expressed similar concerns: “Unconstitutional.  Where does it stop?  Schizophrenia, Bipolar, PTSD, etc...before long only the government would have all the guns...once Dems take control.” Many others echoed the concern that such a ban would be a “slippery slope.” [Twitter/X, 9/4/25, 9/4/25, 9/4/25, 9/4/25, 9/4/25, 9/4/25]

After the news broke, the NRA stated that it “does not, and will not, support any policy proposals that implement sweeping gun bans.” CNN confirmed the statement was released in response to the proposed anti-trans gun ban. [Twitter/X, 9/5/25; CNN, 9/5/25]

National Association for Gun Rights President Dudley Brown told federal agencies “to stop chasing headlines on the back of the Second Amendment.” Brown pointed to court adjudication of individuals — regardless of trans identity — as the only means to restrict someone’s gun rights. Brown posted: “Taking rights away from any American without due process is an affront to the Constitution. ALL ex parte gun bans are unconstitutional. As history proves, any new rules the government invents today will be abused against ill-favored communities, including conservatives and law-abiding gun owners, tomorrow.” [Twitter/X, 9/4/25, 9/4/25, 9/4/25, 9/4/25]

A director at the Second Amendment Foundation expressed doubts the ban proposal is even real. “In the off chance it is, it would be blatantly unconstitutional,” Kostas Moros said. “And also without any legal basis.” [Twitter/X, 9/4/25]

Texas Gun Rights declared, “Banning entire groups of people from buying guns — like transgender individuals — are nothing more than the camel’s nose under the tent for red flag laws.” “Once government starts deciding which Americans ‘qualify’ for 2A rights, the door is wide open for future anti-gun administrations to ram through Red Flag gun confiscation,” the organization posted. “The answer isn’t to disarm citizens. The answer is to deal with dangerous people.” [Twitter/X, 9/4/25]

Gun Owners of America said it “opposes any & all gun bans. Full stop” alongside a screenshot of the CNN headline about the possible ban. [Twitter/X, 9/4/25]

“Read the Second Amendment this morning, didn’t see any mention of a gun ban for certain groups of people,” posted Breitbart Second Amendment columnist AWR Hawkins. Hawkins published two different pieces on the backlash from pro-gun organizations. [Twitter/X, 9/6/25; Breitbart, 9/5/25, 9/7/25]

The Federalist claimed, “Taking away firearms never has and never will remedy the evil that possesses someone to shoot up a school, church, or other public place.” The outlet added: “The White House’s open embrace of the Make America Healthy Again suggests it is focused on treating root causes, not just symptoms. That same dogma should apply to the rise in violence from gender-bending individuals.” [The Federalist, 9/4/25]

An op-ed for the Washington Examiner argued, “Focusing on guns instead of continuing the popular and effective fight against transgender ideology would be a disaster politically as well.” The outlet added, “Transgender ideology must be defeated.” [Washington Examiner, 9/5/25]

The New York Post’s editorial board blasted the proposal: “Whoever floated the ‘trans gun ban’ doesn’t belong anywhere NEAR the Justice Department.” The board questioned whether it was “just some basement-level idiot’s idea for ‘owning the libs.’” [New York Post, 9/5/25]

Radio host Pete Mundo warned of a “slippery slope” on Fox News’ The Faulkner Focus. Mundo said a categorical ban could be weaponized by future administrations, adding, “We're trying to Band-Aid a wound with this and that’s what just makes me nervous.” Host Harris Faulkner cited rates of depression and suicidality in trans people “so people can see what part of the issue here is.” [Fox News, The Faulkner Focus, 9/5/25]