Gun Sales Are Hot as President Trump Rolls Back Biden’s Policies
January marked the 66th month in a row that adjusted background checks for firearm sales topped 1 million, despite a common trend of firearm sales slowing under pro-Second Amendment presidents.
For decades, a clear trend has emerged: when a president who staunchly supports the Second Amendment takes office, firearm background checks—widely used as a measure of gun sales—tend to decline.
However, President Donald Trump’s second term has defied this pattern. In January 2025, background checks continued their upward trajectory, marking the 66th consecutive month over 1 million.
(RELATED: Trump Just Ended Washington's Assault on Gun Rights, Full Stop)
Gun Ownership Continues Its Ascent
According to data from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), 2.3 million background checks were conducted in January, reflecting a 5.5% increase from the 2.2 million recorded in January 2024.
Adjusted numbers by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which remove gun permit checks and rechecks for a more accurate representation of firearm sales, showed 1.2 million background checks in January 2025. The adjusted figure is about 1 percent higher than the January 2024 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1.19 million.
Mark Oliva, public affairs officer with NSSF, praised the ongoing trend, stating, "This is what American freedoms look like – 1.2 million times over. Americans from all walks of life continue to exercise their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms and do so lawfully and responsibly."
The ever-increasing figure is likely tied to President Trump’s unwavering commitment to protecting gun rights. His administration has rolled back restrictive measures imposed by leftist policymakers and restored freedoms that had been eroded under previous Democratic leadership.
Following four years of unconstitutional regulations under former President Joe Biden, law-abiding Americans once again have the ability to exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear arms without fear of government overreach—and that very well could point to gun sales continuing to increase.
"Gun owners fought hard to elect a president who would take a sledgehammer to Biden’s unconstitutional gun control policies, and today, President Trump proved he’s serious about that fight," Second Amendment advocacy group Gun Owners of America (GOA) said after Trump’s recent executive order on firearms.
Democrats Sell Guns
The correlation between Democratic leadership and surging firearm sales is well-documented.
Historically, when Democrats assume office, background checks spike as citizens anticipate restrictive policies that could impede their ability to purchase firearms. This pattern played out when comparing the Obama and Biden administrations to the preceding Bush and Trump presidencies.
During President George W. Bush’s tenure (2001–2009), annual background checks remained stable, fluctuating between 8 million and 10 million. However, during President Obama’s two terms, that number skyrocketed to 27 million in just 8 years.
The Obama surge in gun sales never really receded.
By the end of President Trump’s first term, background checks hovered around 28 million (2019). However, when Joe Biden took office in 2020, that figure exploded to an all-time high of 39 million, demonstrating the widespread fear that his administration would impose further restrictions on gun ownership. To nobody's surprise, they were right.
Data that shows gun ownership per household further corroborates this trend.
During former President Bush’s two terms, household gun ownership remained around 40 percent, but as former President Obama took office, the figure jumped to 45 percent.
Gun ownership rates during President Trump’s first term dropped to 37 percent, but after former President Biden took office, the figure jumped back to 45 percent.
Political affiliation and gun ownership are closely intertwined. In Presidential Firepower: The Effect of the Presidential Party on Gun Ownership, 1980–2018, researcher Shawn Ratcliff concluded that political shifts play a significant role in firearm purchases.
"The results indicate there is an increase in reported gun ownership among Republicans when a Democrat was in office. A similar increase is observed for Democrats when a Republican is in office," Ratcliff wrote.
Firearm sales may slow as President Donald Trump’s second term progresses, as past trends predict, but his administration’s actions indicate a renewed public confidence in the Second Amendment.
While there is still much work to be done to roll back years of restrictive gun control measures imposed by leftist politicians, it is clear that Trump’s administration is actively working to strengthen and restore Americans’ firearm freedoms—and gun sales show Americans are thankful.
(RELATED: Trump Shuts Down Biden's Anti-2A "Gun Violence" Office)
