Donald Trump considered buying a Glock with his face on the handle during a visit to South Carolina on Monday. He stopped at the Palmetto State Armory with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene to examine the weapons for sale.
The former president also posed with a special “Trump Edition” pistol with Trump’s photo on the handle and the words “Trump 45” on the chamber.
‘I’m going to buy one. I want to buy one,” Trump said after examining the gun. “Isn’t Glock a great gun?”
One of the salespeople told the former president that Trump Glock was a top seller.
“They’re selling well,” Trump asked. When he heard yes, he replied, “They like me.”
The exchange was posted on social media by Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, who wrote that Trump had purchased the gun. Cheung later clarified that the former president did not actually make the purchase.
Donald Trump poses with a Glock pistol with his face on it during a trip to South Carolina
If Trump had purchased the Glock, there would have been questions about the legality of its purchase.
Federal law bans anyone on a misdemeanor charge — which applies to Trump, who faces multiple Justice Department charges related to his possession of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results – to buy a gun.
However, some federal judges have ruled that such a rule is inconsistent with the Constitution, meaning Trump could have challenged the issue in court.
Additionally, in South Carolina, a buyer must have a concealed carry permit, or have an immediate background check conducted, in order to purchase a firearm.
The form Trump would have to fill out is an ATF form. He would then have to testify that he is not being charged with a crime and that he is not using or addicted to drugs – just as Hunter Biden did when he bought a gun in 2015.
Trump examined and posed with the GLOCK G19 GEN4 COMPACT “TRUMP” EDITION 9MM PISTOL, THREADED BARREL, which retails for $829.00, according to the Palmetto State Armory website.
Trump posed with Julian Wilson, co-owner of Palmetto State Armory, and Jamin McCallum, founder of Palmetto State Armory, according to photos and video posted to social media.
He also posed with a Glock and held it up for photos. Greene, a strong Trump ally, posted such a photo on her social media and wrote, “President Trump is running some errands in South Carolina! He will protect our great Second Amendment!!”
The Glock features Trump’s photo and costs $829.99
Trump’s gun ban comes as President Joe Biden has created an office for gun violence prevention.
Gun violence is also likely to be a major part of the 2024 presidential campaign. Biden is appealing to suburban women, voters of color and younger voters, who have expressed concerns about gun violence.
Trump, meanwhile, is a prominent defender of the Second Amendment.
Polls show that Americans are increasingly concerned about the number of shootings in the country. The US has one of the highest rates of gun violence in the world.
Six in 10 American adults say gun violence is a very big problem in the country today, with 62% of Americans saying they expect levels of gun violence to increase over the next five years, according to the Pew Research Center.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 504 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023.
As president, Trump did not sign legislation expanding background checks. However, he did ban the sale of bump stock, a device that turns a firearm into one that functions as an automatic weapon. A bump stock was used in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
‘I’m going to buy one. I want to buy one,” Trump said after examining the gun. “Isn’t Glock a great gun?”
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (on the back in white) was with Donald Trump
Trump campaigned in South Carolina as he ran for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination
The former president spoke later Monday afternoon at a campaign event at Sportsman Boats in Summerville — part of the greater Charleston area.
He joined Senator Lindsey Graham and Governor Henry McMaster – two of his biggest allies in the state.
South Carolina is an important primary state. Trump leads the polls for the Republican presidential candidate by double digits.
In South Carolina, he is battling home state lawmakers Nikki Haley and Tim Scott for a win. He leads both in statewide polls.
It is Trump’s second visit to South Carolina in just two months.
