Does Neil Gorsuch Support Gun Rights?

On Tuesday night, President Trump is expected to announce Neil Gorsuch, a Denver-based judge on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, to be his nominee for the Supreme Court. Gorsuch, a friend to religious interests and a stalwart conservative, certainly has the credentials to confound liberals and placate conservatives. But one important question that conservatives will likely be asking themselves about Trump’s pick is where he stands on guns.

Unfortunately, for those who might be wondering, there doesn’t seem to be much indication that Gorsuch feels any which way about the Second Amendment. He hasn’t ever ruled on this issue. In public statements and in his writing, he has not mentioned where he stands. For some, this may constitute a cause for concern, but the lack of information on Gorsuch’s stance likely comes more from the dearth of court cases relating to this issue than it does from any reluctance on his part to present his opinion.

There have been few notable court cases involving the Second Amendment, lately — because there have been so few gun control measures actually passed, leaving little to challenge in the courts. Still, there is enough related information to say that Gorsuch will at the very least be friendly, if not totally helpful, to the interests of gun advocates and owners.

Thomas Hardiman, a colleague of Gorsuch’s who is considered another frontrunner for the court seat, does have a track record with guns — one that places him in support of policies that allow people to carry handguns in public.

It’s about what you’d expect from a staunch conservative, and it’s hard to imagine that Gorsuch represents a significant deviation from that opinion. Gun rights are a pivotal issue for many conservative voters, and the Trump team is sure to be taking that into account as they select their nominee.