Justice Department Reportedly Considering Firearm Restrictions for Transgender Individuals
The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly exploring potential policy options that could restrict firearm access for transgender individuals, according to sources cited by The New York Post.
The internal discussions come in response to the recent deadly shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis. The attacker, identified as Robin Westman—a transgender woman—killed two children and injured 21 others. Westman had legally acquired the firearms used in the shooting, according to a report by KSTP.
Sources familiar with the discussions say that some DOJ officials are considering whether the Trump administration could pursue measures to limit Second Amendment rights for certain groups, potentially using an executive order as justification. One option reportedly under consideration involves designating transgender individuals as mentally unfit to own firearms—a move that would align with Trump’s earlier executive order barring transgender people from military service.
However, legal experts and senior White House officials have raised concerns about the feasibility and legality of such a policy. Under current federal law, only a court ruling can declare an individual mentally unfit to possess firearms, making a broad, group-based restriction difficult to implement.
Despite these legal barriers, a DOJ spokesperson told The Daily Wire that the department is actively evaluating “a range of options” aimed at preventing gun violence, particularly in schools.
“Under Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, this Department of Justice is actively considering a range of options to prevent mentally unstable individuals from committing acts of violence, especially at schools,” the spokesperson said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who previously served as Florida’s attorney general, has a record of supporting gun control measures. She backed legislation that raised the minimum age to purchase firearms following the 2018 Parkland school shooting. Bondi has also taken a strong stance against certain transgender medical treatments for minors, having issued subpoenas to over 20 medical providers across the country.
While mass shootings in the U.S. are rarely committed by transgender individuals, the incident in Minneapolis has sparked increased scrutiny and political debate, particularly among conservative media outlets and commentators.
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