Arbitrary Restrictions Explain Why Trump Was Not Allowed to Buy That Glock

September 27, 2023

Before correcting the record, the former president’s spokesman inadvertently implicated him in a federal crime.

by Jacob Sullum Reason.com

Did you know that Glock makes a special Donald Trump edition of its popular G19 pistol? The gold-colored handgun, which retails for $830, features a drawing of the former president on the grip against a stars-and-stripes background, plus the phrase “Trump 45th” and the presidential seal on the barrel. Trump admired the weapon during a visit to a Palmetto State Armory outlet in Summerville, South Carolina, on Monday—so much so that, according to a social media post that Trump spokesman Steven Cheung later deleted and corrected, he bought one from the store.

“President Trump buys a @GLOCKInc in South Carolina!” Cheung wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. That caption accompanied a video of Trump’s visit, during which he twice remarked, “I want to buy one.” Someone else could be heard saying, “That’s a popular model.” The seemingly innocuous post was immediately controversial, because it inadvertently implicated Trump in a federal felony.