US DOJ Reportedly Considers Gun Ban for Trans People Amid Conservative Smear Campaign

In the aftermath of recent mass shootings, including the deadly attack at a Catholic school in Minneapolis by a transgender shooter, the Trump administration is considering gun control measures specifically targeting transgender individuals by potentially declaring gender dysphoria a mental illness that could restrict their Second Amendment rights. This move aligns with a broader, years-long Republican strategy that scapegoats transgender people as responsible for mass shootings, despite the fact that only a small number of shooters have been transgender, and most shooters tend to be young white men with right-wing views. Prominent GOP figures, including Trump's counterterrorism advisor Sebastian Gorka and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene, have amplified rhetoric portraying the transgender community as dangerous and violent, which critics argue is a politically motivated attempt to demonize trans people and distract from more effective gun control solutions. Concurrently, in the Virginia governor's race, Republicans have revived anti-transgender attacks as a culture war tactic, accusing Democrat Abigail Spanberger of supporting policies that allow transgender participation in girls’ sports and oppose parental notification of a child's gender identity at school. Commentators and podcasters highlight the hypocrisy and cruelty of framing trans identity as a mental disorder to justify gun bans when domestic abusers and most young men remain unrestricted. These developments reflect the GOP's ongoing use of transgender issues as political weapons amid broader gun violence debates.