For decades, conservatives warned about government overreach, political intimidation, and the possibility of unrest, and were routinely mocked by the Left for it. But a new NPR report shows a dramatic reversal: liberals, people of color, and LGBTQ Americans are now purchasing firearms at unprecedented rates, citing the very fears they once dismissed.
Charles, a Black physician in Maryland, told NPR he recently bought a Smith & Wesson .380 and now practices at the range weekly.
“What I’m talking about is protecting myself from a situation where there may be some kind of civil unrest,” Charles said, explaining that he worries Trump supporters “may feel emboldened someday to target minorities like him and his family.”
For decades, gun ownership was culturally associated with Republicans. Now, gun trainers and researchers say the flood of new buyers is coming from the Left. David Phillips of the Liberal Gun Club said the surge has been unlike anything he’s seen.
Membership “grew from 2,700 in November to 4,500 today,” he said, adding that training requests have “quintupled.”
In other words, the very people who once condemned conservative skepticism of government power are now arming themselves for the same reason.
Political rhetoric is a major driver. NPR notes President Trump’s descriptions of undocumented immigrants as “poisoning the blood” and his labeling of opponents as “radical left thugs that live like vermin.” Many liberal gun owners cited such statements as evidence of potential danger, mirroring the language conservatives have used for years about government hostility toward political dissidents.
The White House dismissed the NPR report outright.
“Instead of covering Americans exercising their Second Amendment Right… NPR should highlight the dangerous language from elected Democrats that has driven leftists to commit actual violence,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said.
Even traditional Second Amendment groups have noticed the ideological shift.
“It’s definitely common knowledge at this point,” said Taylor Rhodes of the National Association for Gun Rights.
Google Trends shows repeated spikes in searches for “How do I buy a gun?” following major political flashpoints: Trump’s reelection, immigration enforcement actions, and nationwide protests, reflecting fears once confined mostly to the Right.
Despite their newfound interest in firearms, liberal gun owners insist their motives are defensive only.
“All the language we use is absolutely not about rallying together to arm and go assault anyone,” said MJ, a Midwestern self-defense organizer.
In the end, Charles sums up the shift perfectly:
“As a man, as a father, as a husband, how remiss and derelict would it be for me to not be prepared?” says Charles, the Maryland doctor.
A sentiment conservatives have been expressing for generations — and one the Left can no longer afford to mock.
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