Trump Declares Gun Regulators 'Essential' Amid Shutdown

During one of the longest government shutdowns in US history, a pause on sales of some of the nation's most tightly regulated firearms has ended, thanks to relentless lobbying from the gun industry and Republican lawmakers. The Trump administration has now classified federal firearms examiners as "essential" workers, allowing them to return to work and resume oversight of such items as silencers, short-barreled rifles, and pre-1986 machine guns, per the Guardian. These weapons—sometimes called "gangster weapons" due to their association with the Prohibition era—are regulated under the National Firearms Act of 1934 and are considered by many to pose significant risks to public safety. Despite this, they've become increasingly popular in recent years.

Sales were halted when examiners from the NFA division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) were furloughed at the start of the shutdown, triggering fierce complaints from industry groups and Republican members of Congress. While sales of more common firearms like semiautomatic rifles and handguns continued, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and other groups argued that the shutdown was infringing on Americans' Second Amendment rights, with the NSSF writing to Attorney General Pam Bondi that "a right delayed is a right denied."

"The constitutional rights of Americans are being infringed," added a letter last week to the ATF from more than two dozen House Republicans, per Fox News. The Trump administration's concession means these sales can now proceed even as other government services remain shuttered, from medical drug approvals to small-business loan processing. Even some federal employees overseeing the US nuclear stockpile are still furloughed, making the administration's priorities a point of contention. Gun rights groups hailed the move as a win against what they call ATF overreach. Critics, however, argue that while essential services remain frozen, the administration has prioritized gun sales over public safety.