The New York Police Department may revoke former President Donald Trump's firearm permit now that he's a convicted felon. While the news should come as no surprise, it feels like a political blow as he has long relied on the support of gun rights groups.
Trump's carry permit revocation
CNN first reported the story and attributed the information to a "senior police official" and other outlets followed suit. According to reports, the department suspended Trump's permit when a grand jury indicted him on criminal charges in April 2023. As a result, Trump turned over two of the three handguns registered to his license. The third gun, though, was "lawfully moved to Florida" as Trump changed his place of residence. It's unclear what will become of the third gun.
Shortly after Trump entered politics on a serious level (circa 2011ish), he revealed to reporters that he had a notoriously difficult-to-obtain New York City concealed carry permit. At the time, he said he owned a Heckler & Koch .45-caliber pistol and a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver. From there, he began to champion gun rights, so much so that the National Rifle Association spent $30 million on his 2016 presidential campaign. But that was years before his felony conviction.
Last week, a New York jury convicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records. In court, prosecutors argued he falsified records to hide a hush money payment to an adult film star. The payoff was to keep her from sharing the story about her affair with him years before his 2016 presidential campaign. While the charge would ordinarily be a misdemeanor, prosecutors argued Trump falsified records to hide another crime. In this case, they said it amounted to election interference. So they upped the charge to a felony.
Trump's gun rights as a prohibited person
Under federal law, a person convicted of a "crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year" is considered a prohibited person. That means he or she cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition. And felony convictions typically carry a sentence of more than a year in prison. Although the court has not sentenced Trump yet, he could face up to 20 years in prison for his crimes.
However, some states will restore civil rights, including gun rights, to felons. Under Florida law, for example, a felon can have his or her gun rights restored but they have to wait eight years after their conviction. They also cannot be convicted of any crimes or be fined more than $1,000 for penalties or criminal violations.
