Department of Justice officials have been holding internal meetings about potentially limiting transgender people’s ability to buy firearms, Fox News Digital has learned.
These talks are still in the early stages, and no decisions or policies have been made yet, according to multiple sources.
The discussions focus on two controversial issues for Republicans: protecting Second Amendment rights and tightening policies related to transgender people.
One source mentioned a “pattern” of shootings by transgender individuals, including the recent tragedy at a Catholic Church in Minnesota. Robin Westman, who was named Robert until 2019, killed two children and injured more than a dozen others before taking their own life. Westman’s firearms were purchased legally, according to the Associated Press.
Another source said the DOJ’s discussions about restricting transgender people from buying or owning guns involve the Office of Legal Counsel, which advises the executive branch on legal matters. The discussions would likely include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which regulates federal firearms laws.
When asked about the talks, a DOJ spokesperson said the department is looking at options to address the connection between shootings and mental health, but nothing specific has been decided.
“The DOJ is actively evaluating options to prevent the pattern of violence we have seen from individuals with specific mental health challenges and substance abuse disorders,” the spokesperson said. “No specific criminal justice proposals have been advanced at this time.”
One source said DOJ officials “are reviewing ways to ensure that mentally ill individuals suffering from gender dysphoria are unable to obtain firearms while they are unstable and unwell.”
Currently, people with mental health conditions are generally allowed to buy guns. The Supreme Court confirmed this as recently as 2024 in United States v. Rahimi. In some cases, if a court declares someone mentally incompetent, that information should appear in a background check and prevent them from buying a gun.
Gun rights groups quickly reacted to news of the DOJ discussions.
The Firearms Policy Coalition said it would sue if these talks turned into actual policies.
“If the Trump Administration — or any administration — unwisely and immorally chooses to wield the force of government in conflict with the Constitution, federal law, or our values, FPC will take aggressive action to defend the rights of peaceable people, just as we have many times before,” the group said.
The Firearms Policy Coalition says its mission is to “eliminate bans on constitutionally protected arms, carry in public, the personal manufacture of weapons, and non-dangerous legal adults.”
The DOJ’s discussions reflect President Trump’s past executive actions regarding transgender policies. His orders stated that only two sexes exist, that people with gender dysphoria cannot serve in the military, and that students would violate Title IX if they played in sports for the opposite sex.
Fox News reached out to the White House for comment on the DOJ exploring the idea of banning transgender people from buying guns.
