Republicans have blamed an array of people and dynamics for the attempted assassination of Donald Trump — Democrats’ rhetoric, Secret Service lapses, the gunman’s mental health. One thing they haven’t blamed is guns. In Milwaukee, where the GOP gathered to nominate Trump this week, the party remains steadfast in its opposition to overhauling state and federal policies regulating firearms, like the AR-15 rifle Trump’s shooter used on Saturday. “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. That son of a bitch is now dead because a good guy with a gun shot him, so let’s keep that in mind,” said Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) said at an event hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention, Politico reports. “The insinuation that we’re going to just eradicate this country of guns is a ridiculous one, so you better arm yourself accordingly.”
Interviews with a dozen delegates and convention guests this week show that as much as the attempt on Trump’s life rattled the GOP, it has not shaken its core belief that that the best response to mass shootings is increased mental health resources and physical security measures, including metal detectors, police officers and armed teachers in schools. The Republican Party has long aligned itself with the National Rifle Association and regards guns as an integral part of its platform and culture. The NRA is an official sponsor of the convention and is co-hosting several events around Milwaukee this week. As president, Trump loosened gun restrictions on hunting and fishing on public land, declared gun shops and shooting ranges “essential services” during the pandemic and appointed more than 200 federal judges with conservative views on the Second Amendment. He encouraged states to pass red flag laws that allow people to seek a court order to prevent dangerous individuals from obtaining guns. His administration banned bump stocks, a firearm attachment that enables semi-automatic weapons to function like machine guns. Randy Kozuch of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said there “isn’t a single gun control law that could have prevented [Saturday's] heinous and cowardly attack,” including background checks on all gun sales and transfers.