President Trump said the Second Amendment will never be repealed, despite a call for this by liberal activists and most recently, former United States Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
“THE SECOND AMENDMENT WILL NEVER BE REPEALED! As much as Democrats would like to see this happen, and despite the words yesterday of former Supreme Court Justice Stevens, NO WAY. We need more Republicans in 2018 and must ALWAYS hold the Supreme Court!” the president wrote on Twitter early Monday morning.
THE SECOND AMENDMENT WILL NEVER BE REPEALED! As much as Democrats would like to see this happen, and despite the words yesterday of former Supreme Court Justice Stevens, NO WAY. We need more Republicans in 2018 and must ALWAYS hold the Supreme Court!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2018
Stevens penned an op-ed in The New York Times arguing that the level of civic engagement by young people over this issue “is a clear sign to lawmakers to enact legislation prohibiting civilian ownership of semiautomatic weapons, increasing the minimum age to buy a gun from 18 to 21 years old, and establishing more comprehensive background checks on all purchasers of firearms.”
But Stevens wasn’t done. “More effective and more lasting reform” would be doing away with the Second Amendment altogether.
The former justice went on to argue that the Court’s 2008 ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller, of which he was among the four dissenters, was wrong and ought to be overturned through a constitutional amendment.
Though Stevens is a Republican who was nominated by President Gerald Ford, he’s never acted like one.
John Paul Stevens has at all times been to the left of the ideological median of the court and for most of his tenure was the most liberal justice on the court *by far*, much more liberal than even Ginsburg. Here, is a handy chart: pic.twitter.com/CVtgG0C924
— Jeff B. (@EsotericCD) March 27, 2018
Conservatives were quick to respond to the op-ed.
No one wants to take your guns away, you crazy bastards! https://t.co/uuP3yOJkUo
— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) March 27, 2018
From that John Paul Stevens op-ed: "Overturning that decision via a constitutional amendment to get rid of the Second Amendment would be simple…" Okay. Good luck, guys. Get started, and please emphasize your support for that on the campaign trail in 2018 and 2020.
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) March 27, 2018
"I have long said the ultimate goal of the left is the complete repeal of the #2A. This is proof my friends. They called me crazy, pushing conspiracy theories, paranoid I believe was the last headline. But now, Justice John Paul Stevens proves my case." -@stinchfield1776 #NRA pic.twitter.com/mOKvRxAPdG
— NRATV (@NRATV) March 27, 2018
Hell, why should John Paul Stevens and kid marchers stop at repeal of 2A? Right after that they might as well call for repeal of the 13th & 14th Amendments. Why not? With no means to defend themselves slaves were not free from lynchings and mob attacks. https://t.co/uccqDmPlDC
— David A. Clarke, Jr. (@SheriffClarke) March 27, 2018
Liberal activists judges like Stevens think they are a super legislature and do not believe in people's right to govern themselves. Under Article 3 of the constitution, legislature should roll back the number of federal courts we have. Take THAT Stevens. https://t.co/CsvNt9MdX7
— David A. Clarke, Jr. (@SheriffClarke) March 27, 2018