As thousands of pro-Second Amendment protesters gather in Richmond, Virginia, to decry gun legislation introduced by Democrats in the state government, new data shows firearm sales across the commonwealth reached record levels.
More than 73,000 guns were sold in Virginia in December, the second-highest monthly total for gun sales since the 1990s, according to WHSV.
“[Customers say] I’m only getting this because the governor says I can’t have it, so I’m coming to get it. That happens frequently, so yes, they’re very vocal about it,” a gun shop owner in central Virginia told the station. “We’ve had people buy multiple guns — again, because they’re worried they’re not going to be able to get them in the future.”
The legislation proposed by Democrats in Richmond would limit a person’s ability to purchase a handgun to once per month. It would also virtually outlaw military-style weapons and give local police departments the authority to confiscate guns from citizens they determine to be a threat to public safety.
Gun rights activists across the country have cited the Virginia legislation as an example of a conspiracy of liberal lawmakers aiming to “take guns away” from “law-abiding citizens.”
President Trump echoed this sentiment in a tweet Monday and used it as a pitch to potential Republican voters.
“This is just the beginning,” Trump said. “Don’t let it happen, VOTE REPUBLICAN in 2020!”
The Democrat Party in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia are working hard to take away your 2nd Amendment rights. This is just the beginning. Don’t let it happen, VOTE REPUBLICAN in 2020!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2020
