WASHINGTON, DC (LOOTPRESS) – President Donald Trump issued an executive order on February 7, signaling the start of efforts to dismantle key gun reforms enacted during the Biden administration. The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to conduct a 30-day review of existing federal gun regulations and identify policies that may infringe upon Second Amendment rights.
Among the regulations under scrutiny are rules targeting ghost guns, expanded background checks, and stricter oversight of firearm dealers—measures that were central to former President Joe Biden’s strategy to curb gun violence. Bondi is expected to recommend a course of action following the review, which could result in sweeping rollbacks.
Targeting Biden’s Gun Policies
Trump’s order lays out seven specific areas for review, starting with a broad assessment of all executive actions related to firearms issued during Biden’s tenure. It also calls for an examination of policies that have faced opposition from gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
“Promises made to law-abiding gun owners are being kept by President Donald J. Trump,” said Doug Hamlin, executive vice president and CEO of the NRA. “NRA members turned out in record numbers to secure his victory, and he is proving worthy of their votes, faith, and confidence in his first days in office.”
Gun Reform Advocates Push Back
Gun control advocates swiftly condemned the move. Mark Collins, national policy director for the advocacy group Brady, argued that the Biden-era regulations were constitutional and effective in reducing gun violence.
“They were perfectly in line with Second Amendment rights,” Collins said. “Rolling them back now, especially after we’ve seen the sharpest drop in gun homicides in modern history, would be reckless.”
One policy under review is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) so-called “zero tolerance” enforcement initiative. Under Biden, the ATF sought to revoke licenses from gun dealers who committed serious violations, such as selling firearms without background checks or falsifying records. The policy led to a record number of license revocations before being eased in 2024 following legal challenges.
Trump’s order also calls for reassessing the crackdown on ghost guns—homemade, untraceable firearms often linked to violent crimes. Biden’s administration required ghost gun kits to be serialized for tracking and subjected them to the same background check requirements as traditional firearms.
Another major regulation under review is the Biden administration’s effort to close the so-called gun show loophole, which allowed certain firearm sellers to operate without federal licensing or background checks. The Justice Department took steps in 2024 to regulate such sales, but Trump’s order could dismantle those changes.
Legal Battles and Policy Uncertainty
Many of Biden’s gun regulations have faced legal challenges, and Trump’s executive order directs the Justice Department to reassess its defense of these policies in court. Some of the most significant legal battles have revolved around federal age restrictions on firearm purchases and bans on gun possession for individuals convicted of felonies.
If the Justice Department chooses not to defend these laws, it could dramatically increase the chances of them being overturned.
Shutting Down Gun Violence Prevention Efforts
The executive order also mandates a review of reports and publications from the now-defunct White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which Biden established in 2023 to coordinate a public health approach to reducing firearm-related deaths. The office was a longtime priority for gun safety groups but faced strong opposition from pro-gun organizations.
Former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, a survivor of gun violence and founder of the gun reform group Giffords, criticized Trump’s move, warning that undoing Biden’s policies could have dire consequences.
“The president’s priority should be to build on the lifesaving progress made over the last four years,” Giffords said, “not boost profits for gun company CEOs.”
With the review process now underway, the administration’s next steps on gun policy could reshape the national conversation on firearm regulations. The outcome of the attorney general’s review, expected within the next month, may determine the fate of key gun control measures that have defined the past four years.
