How a Harris or Trump Presidency Could Affect Gun Policy

Guns killed more than 48,000 people in the U.S. in 2022 , the equivalent of one person every 11 minutes .

More than half of those deaths were suicides, and guns are the overall leading cause of death in children aged one to 17 .

About a third of Americans say they own a gun, even as six in 10 favor stricter gun laws.

Some experts say two key policy approaches with demonstrated effects in reducing gun violence, particularly among younger people, seem to be missing from Harris ’s campaign.

Harris nods to this broader approach on her campaign website, mentioning gun violence prevention programs in particular.

Trump , meanwhile, has explicitly positioned himself as a friend to gun owners and “defender of the Second Amendment ”.

A key policy that Trump has expressed interest in throughout the campaign is concealed carry reciprocity legislation that would erode concealed weapon bans where they do exist.

Smart says her research shows that policies permitting concealed guns are associated with higher death rates.

Overall, a Trump administration would likely do little to address gun violence.