April 21, 2026 • 8 mins
“My mom, for the first time, just told me she has a concealed carry permit! That’s okay, I love it!” ~ Todd Blanche, Acting U.S. Attorney General
At the 2026 NRA Annual Meetings, Gun Talk’s Tom Gresham is joined by Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to discuss major developments affecting the Second Amendment—and what gun owners can expect next.
Blanche shares insight into sweeping regulatory changes currently in the works at the Department of Justice, aimed at restoring Second Amendment rights and rolling back burdensome restrictions on gun owners, manufacturers, and FFLs. He also discusses ongoing legal battles, potential Supreme Court implications, and the administration’s long-term strategy to create lasting change.
From regulatory reform to defending gun rights nationwide, this conversation offers a rare inside look at what’s happening behind the scenes in Washington—and what it means for the firearms community.
Copyright ©2026 Freefire Media, LLC
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gun-talk--6185159/support.
At the 2026 NRA Annual Meetings, Gun Talk’s Tom Gresham is joined by Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to discuss major developments affecting the Second Amendment—and what gun owners can expect next.
Blanche shares insight into sweeping regulatory changes currently in the works at the Department of Justice, aimed at restoring Second Amendment rights and rolling back burdensome restrictions on gun owners, manufacturers, and FFLs. He also discusses ongoing legal battles, potential Supreme Court implications, and the administration’s long-term strategy to create lasting change.
From regulatory reform to defending gun rights nationwide, this conversation offers a rare inside look at what’s happening behind the scenes in Washington—and what it means for the firearms community.
- DOJ regulatory overhaul underway
- Potential major changes for FFLs
- Supreme Court battles impacting gun laws
- Long-term vision for Second Amendment protections
Copyright ©2026 Freefire Media, LLC
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gun-talk--6185159/support.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, it's a real treat. Right now, we're at
the course of the RI annual meetings in Houston, and
I'm believable to us. I'm so glad I Todd Blanche
is here. He is the acting US Attorney General. Now
that Pam Body is out, you're feeling that slot now,
I am maybe permanently. We don't know, We do not know, Okay,
(00:20):
I should say, with Donald Trump in charge, you never know.
That's right, That's right. That's why we love them, all right,
So tell everybody a little bit about your background.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
So I'm from Colorado originally, I lived in New York
for a long time. My family, my wife's family, has
been in the gun manufacturing business for forty years. The
manufacturer magazines a check make in Checkmate Industries. So my
father in law started it in nineteen sixty eight sixty nine.
(00:49):
And so I've been part of this fight, struggle, everything
that we've that we've been going through as a nation
for really for forty years.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
You're part of the gun industry, I am, yes. Okay,
but now you're in charge of the US Department of Justice.
I am yes. So how do you put those together?
I know people are saying, well, why can't you fix
everything by the end of work today? So, look, it
takes a while.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
It's a great question. So the important thing for everybody
to realize is that the way this country works is
regulations are put in place and it takes time to
unwind them. And that's a bad fact, but it's true.
And so what we're doing and what President Trump did
on January twentieth, he issued in executive order and it
said very simply, we are going to restore Second Amendment rights. Okay,
(01:38):
so easy, let's do it. And here we and but
let me tell you what we have done. At the
Department of Justice. We hired a law professor who clerk
for Justice, Clarence Thomas, one of the best Second Amendment
justices we've ever had. He is really the only Second
Amendment law professor I think out there. He's a genius.
We hired him and we said, okay, we want you
(02:00):
to go and rework every single regulation consistent with this
President's directive. And and that takes a lot of time.
But I will tell you, and I'm going to say
it tonight when when I when I get a chance
to speak to a lot of other members that we
are days away from releasing that they have been approved
by the president on down and what.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
It's going to change releasing what what are you raising?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
All the new changes to the regulations. So so, for
example of f fl's will, will will scream and kick
correctly that the regulations that are in place that make
it impossible do their jobs everything from from you know
there there's certain signature requirements. Right, you cannot sell a
firearmy listor in person with the person. Why is that?
We have all kinds of ways to do things. You
(02:44):
can get something notarized over the computernically, electronically, you can
file your taxes electronically. How come I cannot sell a
gun to you without violating some some regulation that should
not exist. So so that's one example. Some of the
other examples that are more meaningful that that we'll keep
for the next week. But I think that any gun owner,
(03:05):
anybody who's in the industry, whether you're a manufacturer, whether
you're a resailer, they're going to be to realize that
this administration is going to do more to restore rights
to where they belong than any administration in history.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
I don't have to tell you a lot of people
on the gun in the gun family, in the gun
culture have been frustrated. They've thought, you know, why can't
we move faster? At the same time, having I've been
in DC, worked in DC, things move so slowly in
a certain way, you're actually moving at warp speed right now, Yeah,
(03:41):
because you want to do it right.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
So what we've done, going back to Reagan administration is
the gun industry takes two steps forward and then a
Democrat comes in and takes us eight steps back. And
then we come in and we go two step forward,
and then the next administration comes in. So we're not
gonna do that. We're not gonna take two steps forward.
We're going to We're gonna go forward a mile. And
(04:02):
that means doing it right. So that means making sure
that we're gonna get sued. We're gonna get sued the
day after we release these rags, right, and we don't care.
That's what we expect. But what we want to do
is be in a position to be able to defend
those lawsuits and win because we're doing it the right way.
The other thing I'll say is we have been doing
a lot, so whether it's it's joining lawsuits, when states
(04:23):
are trying to mess with your Second Amendment rights. You know,
you had administrations, even Republican administrations, that just stood on
the sidelines. We are not standing on the Sidelince her,
Meet Dylan of our civil rights group. She is filing
lawsuits left and right to defend the Second ammbals. She's awesome.
Look what we just are getting front of the Supreme
Court a law in Hawaii that basically removes any gun
owner's right to conceal and carry. If we win that,
(04:45):
that not only affects Hawaii, it affects California, all all
the states that passed similar laws.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Hey, we're gonna win that one.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Yeah, I mean all right. So as you look at
the Supreme Court now we're trying to get through to
take a few more cases. We'd love for them at
some point point to take a so called assault weapon
at least to send me automatic ban if we can
get that done, because under Heller and Bruin it says
you cannot ban these guns. Right, But the states keep
doing that.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
They keep on doing it, and until there's enough lawsuits
that they lose, they're not going to start AR fifteen.
Is that that's the best example, that is putting aside
what it was thirty years ago. That is a sporting rifle.
That is a rifle that Americans that they have every
right to own like any other firearm.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
And it doesn't have to be a sporting rifle to
fall under the Second Amendment. That doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
But there's other rigs that that restrict it because it's
not labeled as a sporting rival So we got we
got to fix those rigs as well. And so it's
it's something that that is going to be a sea change.
I think as far as DJ is concerned in Second
Amendment protections, to what extent have you.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Gotten reluctance resistance within DJ to advance in the Second Amendment?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
None? And I'm going to say what I mean by that.
You have a president who champions the Second Amendment. His
sons are better shots than any of us.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Yeah, they're serious, right people.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
He got the White House Counsel Dave Warranton, who is
the biggest second proponent you've ever seen. Okay, you have me,
you have Harmeat Dylon, you have Rob Sakata, our new
hope hopefully soon to be confirmed atf director. He owns
more guns than probably most people in this convention center.
And that's saying a lot. But I'll stand by and
then you, like I said, you have this. You have
a general counsel of HF who's a Clarence Thomas Clerk
(06:31):
who is devoted to Second Amendment. So this, this has
never happened before. And we are running on all cylinders.
It took a while because we're you know, we're a
year in, but you know, it takes a while to
get started and we're working.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
So all right, You're walking around the four here at
the NRA, You're seeing all these people, and I know
you've got security. I had this funny thought. I thought, well,
you know, and you know a lot of people here
walking around carrying guns, but it's the friendliest bunch of
people you'll ever run into. And where you go.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah, absolutely. I was just with my parents. My mom
just told me for the first time, she has a
concealed carry permit. Oh you know, that's okay.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I love it. I love it. Bill, That's right.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
And that's the beauty of That's the what Americans, Americans
know but sometimes Washington forgets, is that that's what gunnarship
is about in this country. And that's why it works
and and that's why. That's what President Trump has said
for fifteen years. And that's a New Yorker saying that.
So you know, it's it's it's the way it's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
All right, So what your wish list. You're in a
great position right now. You said, Okay, this is what
I would love for us to be able to accomplish
over the next year or two.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I want to I want change that lasts beyond this administration.
I don't want to. We're working with ATF every day.
They are no longer going after FFLs, they are no
longer there's no longer a zero tolerance policy where if
you do not cross the tea or dot and I,
We're gonna shut you down.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
However, that only helps for a couple of years.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
So so what my goal is to is to work
to put regulations and do and change the Department of
Justice approach so that no matter what happens in three years,
it's going to stay longer than.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
It's not just changing policy, because policy can be changed,
you're actually going to change the regulations and regulations resources.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
So instead of hiring a bunch of guys to go
civil guys to go look at FFLs. We should be
hiring specialations to go arrest robbers, right, that's what we
should be spending our money on. So that then that's
what we're doing.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
There you go, bod Butch, thank you so much, not
just for doing the interview, thank you for what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Thank you, Harrie is great doing it anytime.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Appreciate this very much. Return you to the NRA Annual
Meetings
All right, it's a real treat. Right now, we're at
the course of the RI annual meetings in Houston, and
I'm believable to us. I'm so glad I Todd Blanche
is here. He is the acting US Attorney General. Now
that Pam Body is out, you're feeling that slot now,
I am maybe permanently. We don't know, We do not know, Okay,
(00:20):
I should say, with Donald Trump in charge, you never know.
That's right, That's right. That's why we love them, all right,
So tell everybody a little bit about your background.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
So I'm from Colorado originally, I lived in New York
for a long time. My family, my wife's family, has
been in the gun manufacturing business for forty years. The
manufacturer magazines a check make in Checkmate Industries. So my
father in law started it in nineteen sixty eight sixty nine.
(00:49):
And so I've been part of this fight, struggle, everything
that we've that we've been going through as a nation
for really for forty years.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
You're part of the gun industry, I am, yes. Okay,
but now you're in charge of the US Department of Justice.
I am yes. So how do you put those together?
I know people are saying, well, why can't you fix
everything by the end of work today? So, look, it
takes a while.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
It's a great question. So the important thing for everybody
to realize is that the way this country works is
regulations are put in place and it takes time to
unwind them. And that's a bad fact, but it's true.
And so what we're doing and what President Trump did
on January twentieth, he issued in executive order and it
said very simply, we are going to restore Second Amendment rights. Okay,
(01:38):
so easy, let's do it. And here we and but
let me tell you what we have done. At the
Department of Justice. We hired a law professor who clerk
for Justice, Clarence Thomas, one of the best Second Amendment
justices we've ever had. He is really the only Second
Amendment law professor I think out there. He's a genius.
We hired him and we said, okay, we want you
(02:00):
to go and rework every single regulation consistent with this
President's directive. And and that takes a lot of time.
But I will tell you, and I'm going to say
it tonight when when I when I get a chance
to speak to a lot of other members that we
are days away from releasing that they have been approved
by the president on down and what.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
It's going to change releasing what what are you raising?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
All the new changes to the regulations. So so, for
example of f fl's will, will will scream and kick
correctly that the regulations that are in place that make
it impossible do their jobs everything from from you know
there there's certain signature requirements. Right, you cannot sell a
firearmy listor in person with the person. Why is that?
We have all kinds of ways to do things. You
(02:44):
can get something notarized over the computernically, electronically, you can
file your taxes electronically. How come I cannot sell a
gun to you without violating some some regulation that should
not exist. So so that's one example. Some of the
other examples that are more meaningful that that we'll keep
for the next week. But I think that any gun owner,
(03:05):
anybody who's in the industry, whether you're a manufacturer, whether
you're a resailer, they're going to be to realize that
this administration is going to do more to restore rights
to where they belong than any administration in history.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
I don't have to tell you a lot of people
on the gun in the gun family, in the gun
culture have been frustrated. They've thought, you know, why can't
we move faster? At the same time, having I've been
in DC, worked in DC, things move so slowly in
a certain way, you're actually moving at warp speed right now, Yeah,
(03:41):
because you want to do it right.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
So what we've done, going back to Reagan administration is
the gun industry takes two steps forward and then a
Democrat comes in and takes us eight steps back. And
then we come in and we go two step forward,
and then the next administration comes in. So we're not
gonna do that. We're not gonna take two steps forward.
We're going to We're gonna go forward a mile. And
(04:02):
that means doing it right. So that means making sure
that we're gonna get sued. We're gonna get sued the
day after we release these rags, right, and we don't care.
That's what we expect. But what we want to do
is be in a position to be able to defend
those lawsuits and win because we're doing it the right way.
The other thing I'll say is we have been doing
a lot, so whether it's it's joining lawsuits, when states
(04:23):
are trying to mess with your Second Amendment rights. You know,
you had administrations, even Republican administrations, that just stood on
the sidelines. We are not standing on the Sidelince her,
Meet Dylan of our civil rights group. She is filing
lawsuits left and right to defend the Second ammbals. She's awesome.
Look what we just are getting front of the Supreme
Court a law in Hawaii that basically removes any gun
owner's right to conceal and carry. If we win that,
(04:45):
that not only affects Hawaii, it affects California, all all
the states that passed similar laws.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Hey, we're gonna win that one.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Yeah, I mean all right. So as you look at
the Supreme Court now we're trying to get through to
take a few more cases. We'd love for them at
some point point to take a so called assault weapon
at least to send me automatic ban if we can
get that done, because under Heller and Bruin it says
you cannot ban these guns. Right, But the states keep
doing that.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
They keep on doing it, and until there's enough lawsuits
that they lose, they're not going to start AR fifteen.
Is that that's the best example, that is putting aside
what it was thirty years ago. That is a sporting rifle.
That is a rifle that Americans that they have every
right to own like any other firearm.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
And it doesn't have to be a sporting rifle to
fall under the Second Amendment. That doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
But there's other rigs that that restrict it because it's
not labeled as a sporting rival So we got we
got to fix those rigs as well. And so it's
it's something that that is going to be a sea change.
I think as far as DJ is concerned in Second
Amendment protections, to what extent have you.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Gotten reluctance resistance within DJ to advance in the Second Amendment?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
None? And I'm going to say what I mean by that.
You have a president who champions the Second Amendment. His
sons are better shots than any of us.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Yeah, they're serious, right people.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
He got the White House Counsel Dave Warranton, who is
the biggest second proponent you've ever seen. Okay, you have me,
you have Harmeat Dylon, you have Rob Sakata, our new
hope hopefully soon to be confirmed atf director. He owns
more guns than probably most people in this convention center.
And that's saying a lot. But I'll stand by and
then you, like I said, you have this. You have
a general counsel of HF who's a Clarence Thomas Clerk
(06:31):
who is devoted to Second Amendment. So this, this has
never happened before. And we are running on all cylinders.
It took a while because we're you know, we're a
year in, but you know, it takes a while to
get started and we're working.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
So all right, You're walking around the four here at
the NRA, You're seeing all these people, and I know
you've got security. I had this funny thought. I thought, well,
you know, and you know a lot of people here
walking around carrying guns, but it's the friendliest bunch of
people you'll ever run into. And where you go.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah, absolutely. I was just with my parents. My mom
just told me for the first time, she has a
concealed carry permit. Oh you know, that's okay.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I love it. I love it. Bill, That's right.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
And that's the beauty of That's the what Americans, Americans
know but sometimes Washington forgets, is that that's what gunnarship
is about in this country. And that's why it works
and and that's why. That's what President Trump has said
for fifteen years. And that's a New Yorker saying that.
So you know, it's it's it's the way it's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
All right, So what your wish list. You're in a
great position right now. You said, Okay, this is what
I would love for us to be able to accomplish
over the next year or two.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I want to I want change that lasts beyond this administration.
I don't want to. We're working with ATF every day.
They are no longer going after FFLs, they are no
longer there's no longer a zero tolerance policy where if
you do not cross the tea or dot and I,
We're gonna shut you down.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
However, that only helps for a couple of years.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
So so what my goal is to is to work
to put regulations and do and change the Department of
Justice approach so that no matter what happens in three years,
it's going to stay longer than.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
It's not just changing policy, because policy can be changed,
you're actually going to change the regulations and regulations resources.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
So instead of hiring a bunch of guys to go
civil guys to go look at FFLs. We should be
hiring specialations to go arrest robbers, right, that's what we
should be spending our money on. So that then that's
what we're doing.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
There you go, bod Butch, thank you so much, not
just for doing the interview, thank you for what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Thank you, Harrie is great doing it anytime.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Appreciate this very much. Return you to the NRA Annual
Meetings
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