January 14, 2025
Will Trump’s Presidency Increase School Shootings?
By John Myers
By Sheema Zaira
While Donald Trump’s victory as the 47th President of the United States of America has been celebrated by his followers, his win has only guaranteed a state of unease and distress for gun control advocates, who voice concerns due to Trump’s history of regressive gun policies. Trump has faced multiple assassination attempts, including one during the summer of 2024 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Although he was shot by an AR-15-style rifle that also killed one of his rally participants, Trump’s support for less strict gun policies remains strong.
According to the Gun Violence Archive in 2024, since 2016, mass shootings in the United States have been on the rise, with a record-high number of 689 mass shootings in 2021. This has left students across the nation, including myself, feeling unsafe and anxious about attending school. Safety drills, such as LockDowns, have been implemented more heavily in schools, but have also contributed to heightened stress for children. How are we supposed to attend schools with a clear head if all we can worry about is if we are the next victims?
Based on CBS News in 2024, during Donald Trump’s previous term, he revoked a policy that was enacted under Obama’s presidency that required more background checks for people with mental illnesses, and he voiced support for arming teachers. These actions have been backed by two major pro-gun organizations, the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), who have funded Trump’s campaigns in 2016 and 2024. According to The Guardian in 2018, since 2012, the NRA has increased its control over federal officials, such as various Congress members and Donald Trump, by spending more than $100 million to help them into office. These lobbyist groups have been able to sway politicians to reject gun control regulations, and instead pass legislation that promotes their pro-gun policies.
The irony is that most major pro-gun advocates are anti-crime, yet do not connect heightened gun accessibility to an increase in crime rates. Although President Joe Biden passed several gun control legislation, they may be at risk of being nullified by Trump in his upcoming presidency. With a Republican president, and a Republican majority in the Senate as well as the House of Representatives, gun control legislation may fall under higher scrutiny and revocation. Trump will also appoint three new Justices to the Supreme Court, which will only help tip the tides in his favor to passing anti-gun control laws.
As reported by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy’s latest Mood of the Nation Poll in 2023, although 86% of American adults agree with requiring background checks for firearms, and 73% support gun owners to register and obtain a license, Trump’s expected policies go against the majority opinion of the American public. Instead of increasing access to guns, we need to increase public health research and services, as well as mandate safer storage for guns. These reform methods will allow children to attend schools safely and without worrying about being in danger in their classrooms. Protecting our children should be our top priority, and if guns have become a dangerous issue for them, then we must advocate for regulations on guns.
