Portrait of Dan Bongino
Entertainer · policy
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Dan Bongino on Gun Control

Staunch 2A defender (strong)

TL;DR

Dan Bongino staunchly opposes gun control measures, viewing the Second Amendment as a fundamental right and fail-safe for freedom.

Key Points

  • The Second Amendment is a fail-safe ensuring collective freedoms, not merely about hunting or sport, according to a 2012 statement.

  • He opposes reducing restrictions on concealed carry permits, citing personal experience in Maryland where obtaining one involved excessive hurdles and arbitrary judicial review.

  • As Deputy Director of the FBI, he is expected to push for a refocus on fighting crime rather than implementing politically charged gun control measures that target law-abiding citizens.

Summary

Daniel Bongino maintains a strong, uncompromising stance against gun control, framing the Second Amendment as a crucial, non-negotiable fail-safe woven into the Constitution to preserve individual and collective freedoms. He argues that the right to keep and bear arms extends beyond recreation to ensure law-abiding citizens can protect their lives and liberties against potential government overreach or threats. His position is rooted in the belief that gun laws primarily burden lawful owners while criminals disregard them, asserting that solutions should target criminal misuse rather than restrict constitutional rights.

He has specifically criticized efforts to impose restrictions, such as those requiring excessive hurdles or fees for concealed carry permits, which he views as arbitrary denial of self-protection privileges. Furthermore, he challenges the rhetoric used by gun control advocates, such as misusing technical terms like "fully semi-automatic," suggesting such language stems from ignorance intended to stoke fear. For Bongino, empowerment through training, rather than bans, represents the responsible approach to firearms, solidifying his position as a vocal opponent of almost all new gun control legislation.

Key Quotes

“It's not called the Bill of Needs, it's the Bill of Rights.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Dan Bongino's core position is a strong opposition to gun control, as detailed in a 2012 article where he called the Second Amendment a constitutional fail-safe. He believes this right is essential for citizens to protect their lives and liberties without government infringement. He contends that restrictions only affect law-abiding people, not criminals.

Bongino strongly opposes virtually all proposed gun control measures, viewing them as an unacceptable encroachment on constitutional rights, according to his commentary. He has argued that bureaucracy and fees for concealed carry permits are unjust hurdles. His focus is on responsible gun ownership and addressing criminal misuse rather than new restrictions.

According to commentary from 2025, Dan Bongino defends the AR-15 as a viable self-defense weapon, criticizing attempts to ban specific types of firearms. He emphasizes that the choice of defensive tool should be left to the individual citizen. He believes this is consistent with the Second Amendment's purpose of allowing personal protection.