Chapter 1: Why are more liberals buying guns since Trump's second inauguration?
I'm Ayesha Roscoe, and this is a Sunday Story from Up First, where we go beyond the news of the day to bring you one big story. Five years ago, rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol here in Washington to try to overturn the 2020 election. It was the largest demonstration of domestic political violence in modern memory. Since President Trump began his second term, Some people fear more unrest.
My colleague, Frank Langfitt, has been looking into how some people are responding to this fear, which led him to a gun range in Maryland to meet someone who goes every week. His name is Charles.
This is a Smith & Wesson 380. And then my next gun will be a Glock. And I already have a shotgun.
Charles bought his first gun in the last year. He showed Frank how he's practicing reloading his pistol.
So this is a task I would stumble over. Putting the bullets in.
Yeah, and you want to kind of be comfortable with everything because the thought is that when there's an actual situation or event, you don't want to be fumbled around.
When we come back, NPR's roving national correspondent, Frank Langfitt, tells us what's driven Charles to embrace guns and the growing national trend he represents. We'll be right back. We're back with the Sunday Story. Frank Langfitt, welcome to the program.
Great to be here, Aisha.
So, Frank, what drew you to this topic and to Charles?
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Chapter 2: What motivated Charles to start practicing with firearms?
Hands behind your back.
And the handcuffing of a U.S. senator. Charles worries that ordinary citizens like him could eventually be targeted.
What I'm talking about is protecting myself from a situation where there may be some kind of chaotic civil unrest and the streets become something we don't recognize.
That civil unrest that you expect would be triggered by the president or the administration through rhetoric?
He has it all. He could dispatch citizens or the government. It doesn't matter. He could do both. And I'm not saying that that's what's going to happen. What I'm saying is none of this is out of the question any longer.
I mean, that's really striking to hear. Of course, you know, Charles, he's just one person. How do we know that he represents something bigger? Like, how many people did you talk to?
I did more than 30 interviews over seven months, and I talked to new gun owners, people who help run gun clubs for those on the political left, as well as firearms trainers and academic researchers. And Aisha, I found a lot of evidence that more liberals, people of color like Charles, and LGBTQ folks are buying guns out of fear.
This is just a small sample of what I heard from gun clubs and trainers.
Since the second inauguration of Trump, we have seen an incredible increase in interest in training with firearms.
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Chapter 3: How are liberal gun clubs adapting to the changing demographics of gun ownership?
And I always find I learn so much more if I can continue the conversation.
So does this mean Dana is giving up their guns?
No. Dana still has the pistols and rifles and still plans to move overseas, but it doesn't feel quite as urgent.
So we've heard from the liberal gun club and Dana learned to shoot with the pink pistols. Frank, why do you think people on the left and minorities seek out these kind of training groups?
Yeah, I asked that question to a trainer I've been talking to for the last few months.
My name is Alessandro Padovani. I'm originally from Italy, but I've been living in California now for over 20 years.
Padovani runs this company called Progressive Defense Training. And he says there are things that he saw in the industry that alienate progressives and other kinds of minorities. Padovani says sometimes he would come across teachers who were outspoken in their right-wing politics and came off as really macho.
Classic examples are people that teach an entry-level class, but they're decked out like they're special forces people. I remember a class in Sacramento, all places, where obviously the instructor was making joke about all the libs and how if there ever is a civil war, they don't stand a chance because they hate guns.
Padavani's white, and he says he's also come across trainers who made disparaging comments about minority groups.
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