Donald Trump’s crime and gun policies, explained

Q: Do you support the 2018 First Step Act? If not, would you seek its repeal?

A: The Trump administration approved the First Step Act in 2018, which reduced some prison sentences and allowed some prisoners early release, after it passed Congress, and the former president has repeatedly played up his role in the legislation.

Q: Do you support the federal legalization of recreational marijuana? If not, do you support states’ right to decide?

A: In September, Trump posted on social media that he would support a Florida ballot measure legalizing recreational marijuana use. He added he would “end needless arrests and incarcerations” for people who use “small amounts of marijuana for personal use.” He also stated his support for federal research to “unlock the medical uses of marijuana” and the right of states to hold ballot referendums on its use. The September social media posting puts Trump in rare alignment with Harris on the issue.

Q: Should access to guns be restricted for individuals who might harm themselves or others, also known as a red-flag law?

A: In 2019, Trump said he supported red-flag laws after the mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso. His administration abandoned the effort later that year under pressure from the National Rifle Association.

Q: Should the U.S. require a background check for every gun purchase, including at gun shows and online purchases?

A: After the Parkland, Fla., mass killing in 2018, Trump held a meeting with members of Congress at the White House and said “[W]e have to keep the guns out of the hands of those that pose the threat. And this really includes background checks.” Later that year, the White House distanced itself from many of the background check proposals amid backlash from the National Rifle Association. In February, Trump told NRA members that he would undo Biden’s actions on guns and told them “no one will lay a finger on your firearms.”

Q: Do you support restrictions on concealed carry of guns in schools and universities?

A: At an NRA event in April 2023, Trump proposed a tax credit for teachers who want a concealed carry weapon on school grounds and who want training. During a 2018 discussion about school shootings Trump also dismissed gun-free zones and touted concealed carry of guns for teachers and “people of talent” on school grounds. He later tweeted that he only meant a small percentage of teachers should be armed.

Q: Do you support a repeal of immunity for gun manufacturers so they can be sued in court?

A: Trump has shown support for gunmakers on social media and his administration also changed rules in 2020 to allow gun manufacturers to sell arms to foreign buyers more easily. In his February speech to NRA members, he said “every single Biden attack on gun owners and manufacturers will be terminated my very first week back in office.”

Q: Do you own a firearm? If yes, how many firearms do you own and what types? How do you store your gun(s)?

A: Trump told the Washington Times in 2012 that he owned “a couple of different guns” under a concealed-carry permit in New York.