Trump loves guns so much it's hurting gun sellers

Gun owners feel safe with President Trump by their side — a little too safe for firearm manufacturers' liking.
Thanks to what they feel are guaranteed Second Amendment rights under Trump, gun buyers aren't stocking up on AR-15s, The Wall Street Journal reports. The "Trump slump," as executives are calling it, has notably led to a 50 percent drop in long gun revenue for Smith & Wesson's parent company from 2016 to 2017.
Americans never used to love AR-style rifles, the Journal points out. But Democratic proposals to ban the gun after mass shootings turned former President Barack Obama into "the best AR-15 salesman there was," gun dealer Chris Waltz tells the Journal. An even bigger spike came as a Hillary Clinton presidency loomed in 2016, leading to the production of about 2.3 million rifles and nearly 12 million total firearms. A 2017 marketing report even encouraged manufacturers to target "anxious buyers" worried about a government that supported gun control.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
During the Obama years, Waltz saw a business boom that helped him afford a boat and an RV. But Trump's presidency caused an immediate drop in sales, he told the Journal. While there is no data on sales for the whole industry, background checks are down 11 percent, per FBI analysis. As a Maine gun manufacturer put it, there's just no "fear-based market" pushing gun lovers to stock up anymore.
Read more about dwindling gun sales at The Wall Street Journal.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Why does Elon Musk take his son everywhere?
Talking Point With his four-year-old 'emotional support human' by his side, what message is the world's richest man sending?
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why are sinkholes becoming more common?
Podcast Plus, will Saudi investment help create the "Netflix of sport"? And why has New Zealand's new tourism campaign met with a savage reception?
By The Week UK Published
-
How Poland became Europe's military power
The Explainer Warsaw has made its armed forces a priority as it looks to protect its borders and stay close to the US
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published