Americans are buying weapons during the Trump era

In a wooded area near Richmond, the capital of Virginia, the sounds of gunfire echo, as many Americans, including Colin (38 years old), are training there to use firearms.

Colin is among many left-leaning Americans who are buying guns, due to their fears of the administration of President Donald Trump, in a shift from prevailing notions about firearm ownership in the United States.

“I feel much more threatened by my government than by the citizens around me,” Colin said, requesting that his full name not be revealed, in order to preserve his privacy, pointing out that the killing of Rene Goode and Alex Peretti in Minneapolis, who were killed by federal agents’ bullets during a massive anti-immigration campaign in the city located in the northern United States, was the point that made the cup spill over for him.

He told Agence France-Presse: “We have an army authorized by the government, more like a private army, that roams the streets and assaults and shoots people. “This scares me much more than some crimes between individuals.”

The gun debate in the United States is very complex and has deep political dimensions. Supporters of the right to bear arms, who generally lean to the right, portray the issue as a matter of personal freedom, as the US Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, while liberals tend to emphasize the imposition of stricter controls on weapons in a country that witnesses mass shootings.

After he bought the gun, Colin and his wife, Dani, enrolled in a training course offered by Clara Elliott, a certified handgun instructor, who says her business “doubled” after Trump was elected to a second presidential term in November 2024. Since then, most of her training courses, designed specifically for women and minorities, have sold out but are open to everyone.

About a dozen people participate in Elliott’s course, which begins by explaining the basic principles of shooting and safety before moving on to practical training on the shooting range. Many say their interest in the course stems from the current political atmosphere in the United States, including immigration raids. Cassandra, 28, said: “There are a lot of disturbing things happening in the United States.” As for Akemi, who is from a Latin American country and is 30 years old, she said that she fears “far-right violence” and does not trust the police’s ability to protect her.

Coach Elliott isn’t the only one whose business has boomed since the two deadly shootings in Minneapolis. The Liberal Gun Club, a national organization that defines its mission as “a voice for liberal and moderate gun owners,” says it recorded 3,000 new applications for firearms training in the first two months of 2026, more than it recorded in all of 2025.

CEO Ed Gardner says such increases are not uncommon after major political events or horrific acts of violence such as mass shootings. But unlike in the past, when public interest came mostly from women and minorities, today’s new members “include all groups”: young people, the elderly, from the countryside and cities.