Gun sales have plummeted since Trump took office

Gun sales are down.
(Image credit: DOMINICK REUTER/AFP/Getty Images)

Gun sales have plunged since President Trump was elected, with the FBI recording 1.6 million fewer firearm background checks between December and April compared to the same period a year ago, the New York Post reports. The drop is thought to be connected to Trump's surprise election, as gun purchasers bumped up sales in the months ahead of the election in the belief that a President Hillary Clinton would implement stricter gun control laws.

But since Trump won the election, the FBI has recorded its second-biggest drop in sales since it began collecting statistics in 1998. While the government doesn't track firearm sales specifically, firearm background checks are a common way to measure the enthusiasm around purchasing a gun.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.