Minority and poor communities across the United States are increasingly buying guns, framing the move as protection against what they view as Trump-era hostility and persecution.
At a Glance
- Gun ownership among Black, Latino, and Asian Americans surged after 2019
- LGBTQ+ and transgender groups report firearms training for self-defense
- Black gun clubs such as NAAGA record sharp membership increases
- RAND finds firearm laws and violence disproportionately affect minorities
Minority Gun Boom
In recent years, gun ownership has expanded rapidly among minority groups who traditionally had lower rates of firearm possession. Data reported by ABC show that between 2019 and 2020, firearm purchases rose by 58.2 percent among Black Americans, 43 percent among Asian Americans, and 49 percent among Latinos. Much of this surge was linked to fear of hate crimes, political rhetoric, and distrust in law enforcement.
Transgender and LGBTQ+ communities are also responding to what they perceive as intensifying threats. The Washington Post in February 2025 documented trans Americans buying firearms and training for protection, citing a hostile political climate following Trump’s return to office. The Guardian likewise reported a spike in women and queer people purchasing weapons after the 2024 election, often connecting their decision to fears of emboldened misogyny and anti-trans violence.
Watch now: Fears among minorities rising in Trump’s America
Organizing for Defense
The rise in individual purchases has been paralleled by the growth of minority-focused organizations offering training and community defense. The National African American Gun Association (NAAGA) has seen record membership growth, especially among Black women, who describe firearms as a necessary safeguard. Groups such as Black Guns Matter and the Socialist Rifle Association also provide safety training and firearms literacy, aiming to empower working-class and marginalized populations.
This trend intersects with longstanding tensions between minorities and U.S. gun laws. Scholars note that firearm regulation has historically been applied in racially discriminatory ways. In Race, Rights, and Rifles (2023), Alexandra Filindra traces how gun politics have shaped racial identity and exclusion, reinforcing minority perceptions that disarmament equates to vulnerability.
Structural Inequalities
Policy research underscores the disproportionate risks minorities face. A RAND analysis in 2024 reviewed how firearm laws affect racial groups differently, concluding that Black Americans are significantly more likely than White Americans to die from firearm homicide. Yet surveys show that minorities are increasingly citing personal safety and mistrust of institutions as reasons for buying guns, blurring the line between protection from crime and protection from political or social persecution.
While most academic work stops short of directly attributing these decisions to “Trumpist persecution,” media accounts consistently report that poor and minority individuals frame their firearm ownership as a response to rising hostility. From Asian Americans stockpiling weapons during surges in hate crimes, to transgender voters training with rifles, self-armament is increasingly viewed as both a right and a necessity.
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