DOJ Finalizes Rule to Restore Gun Rights for Some Felons
The Spin
Republican narrative
The DOJ's new rule finally gives non-violent felons a real shot at reclaiming their rights after decades of a broken, defunded system. This is a rigorous, case-by-case process that keeps violent felons, sex offenders and others who pose genuine risks permanently out of the running. Treating gun rights as permanently stripped with zero path to review was never justice.
Democratic narrative
The DOJ's rule is flatly illegal, defying appropriations law that Congress has renewed every year since 1993. Shifting authority from the ATF to the DOJ violates the law — and the administration already used this process to restore gun rights to a convicted domestic abuser with ties to the president. Dismantling gun safety guardrails while ignoring congressional intent is lawlessness.
