Post Makes Unsupported Claim Trump Purchased a Handgun

Quick Take

While campaigning in South Carolina, former President Donald Trump saw a handgun at a gun store with his image and name on it. “I want to buy one,” he said. An online video shows Trump in the store, but the post claims he purchased the gun. The Trump campaign said, “He simply indicated he wanted one.”

Full Story

During a campaign swing through South Carolina on Sept. 25, former President Donald Trump stopped by a boat factory, spoke to supporters at a rally, and took a tour of a gun store.

While walking through the gun shop, the Palmetto State Armory in Summerville, Trump admired a Glock 19 handgun that was engraved with his image and the words “Trump 45th.” Trump said, “I want to buy one.”

A Trump spokesperson, Steven Cheung, posted on X on Sept. 25 that the former president bought the gun during his visit to the store.

But it would have been unlawful for the store to sell Trump the gun, because he is facing multiple criminal indictments that could result in prison time of more than one year.

Under federal law, it is “unlawful for any person under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year to ship, transport, or receive firearms or ammunition,” according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and it is “unlawful to sell or otherwise dispose of firearms or ammunition to any person who is prohibited from shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing firearms or ammunition.”

USA Today reported that Cheung later deleted the post, and the Trump campaign issued a statement saying, “President Trump did not purchase or take possession of the firearm. He simply indicated that he wanted one.”

A news article about Trump’s visit to South Carolina in the Post and Courier also indicated that Trump did not buy the gun. “At no point during the visit was Trump seen filling out the paperwork required to buy a firearm,” the Sept. 25 article said.

But an Instagram post shared a video on Sept. 26 of Trump’s visit to the gun store, with the title, “Trump just bought a handgun!” That was a day after the campaign said Trump did not buy a gun at the store.

On the video, Trump can he heard saying, “I want to buy one,” and he poses with a store employee who is holding a Glock handgun.

As we said, however, the Trump campaign said he did not purchase a gun and a newspaper article about Trump’s visit to the gun store supports that account.