President Donald Trump (R) is prepping to move back into the Oval Office for a second term as governors and attorneys general in Democrat-controlled states vow "resistance."
Trump as of Friday morning had secured at least 295 of 270 needed Electoral College votes, the popular nationwide vote (73.4 million vs 69 million), and a concession speech from Vice President Kamala Harris (R) reinforced by a national address from President Biden (D). This was compounded with Republicans gaining at least four seats in the U.S. Senate, giving them control of the chamber, and the likely prospect that the GOP will also retain control of the U.S. House.
When it comes to the potential of a polar shift in the flavor of federal gun policy once Trump takes office in January 2025, large anti-Second Amendment activist groups that have poured millions into this election cycle favoring Harris are bemoaning the coming change while doubling down on their calls for even stronger gun laws.
At the same time, "contingency plans" are being implemented, at least in California and New York.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) issued a proclamation on Thursday convening a special session of the California Legislature to "safeguard California values" even though the state enacted no fewer than 13 new gun control laws this year.
Newsom already has previously enacted an extra 11 percent tax on gun and ammo sales and has a proposal on the table to largely gut the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on a national scale.
"No matter what the incoming Administration has in store, California will keep moving forward,” said state Attorney General Rob Bonta. "We’ve been through this before, and we stand ready to defend your rights and protect California values. We’re working closely with the Governor and the Legislature to shore up our defenses and ensure we have the resources we need to take on each fight as it comes."
Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul, both Democrats with a history of publicly butting heads with Trump, convened a new state task force with the doublethink name of the Empire State Freedom Initiative.
The group will "address potential federal legal threats to reproductive freedom, gun safety laws, and other key issues."
