Last year Donald Trump Jr helped take an online firearms retailer known as the “Amazon of guns” public. Now, GrabAGun, where the president’s son is a shareholder and board member, could benefit from a proposed rule change that would make it easier to ship guns directly to people’s homes.The proposal from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would let licensed dealers ship firearms to in-state buyers who complete online identity verification and a background check, followed by a seven-day waiting period after notifying local law enforcement. Currently, online buyers must pick up firearms at physical stores and undergo in-person checks unless they have a permit.If finalised, the rule could be one of the biggest shifts in US gun policy in two decades. Industry officials, store owners and gun-control advocates say it could drive a major surge in online gun sales.
Trump Jr ‘s stake and denial of involvement
Trump Jr holds more than 300,000 shares in GrabAGun worth over $700,000, though that’s down from more than $5 million last year. He became the face of the company when it went public through a merger that brought in $119 million. The SPAC was backed by 1789 Capital, where Trump Jr is a partner.A spokesperson for Trump Jr said the president’s son had no role in the ATF proposal. “Don is a lifelong businessman and vocal advocate of our Second Amendment rights. He does not interface with the Federal Government as part of his role with any company that he invests in or advises and had zero involvement in this particular decision.”GrabAGun CEO Marc Nemati told Reuters that neither he nor Trump Jr knew the proposal was coming. The company is still analysing the potential impact on its $100 million in revenue. But Nemati had said in a May news release: “We believe GrabAGun is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this potential opportunity.”
ATF projects half of gun buyers could switch to home delivery
The ATF projects that half of all gun buyers, nearly 3.3 million people a year, would eventually use the home-delivery method. Some industry leaders expect the actual number to be much higher because of online shopping convenience.ATF chief counsel Robert Leider said the proposed rule aims to bring the gun industry in line with the rest of the modern economy. The agency estimates the change would save consumers $103.7 million annually in travel and processing time.Leider said he didn’t know about Trump Jr ‘s connection to GrabAGun until Reuters asked, and that the president’s son had no influence on the proposal. He declined to say whether the White House was involved. The White House said it had no record of “interaction with the President’s son on any of these topics.”The rule is one of 34 deregulatory measures ATF proposed this spring following a February 2025 presidential executive order to expand gun access.
Gun shops and advocates warn of safety risks
Marianna Mitchem, a senior firearms industry advisor at Everytown for Gun Safety, said the industry had never asked for a policy like this. Physical gun shops have historically played a key role in vetting buyers, she said.“ATF always says the gun store is the first line of defense in gun safety. But now they are flipping it,” Mitchem said.Gun-control groups argue that shipping millions of firearms to buyers’ homes could enable trafficking, mail theft and straw purchases, where a legal buyer buys a gun for someone who can’t legally own one.“Even with the most robust virtual sales and background check process, there is no way for a gun store that is selling a gun over the internet to know if the person making the purchase is funneling the firearms to others,” said Aneesa McMillan, a Giffords spokesperson.Chrystal Santos, who runs operations at Bow & Barrel Sportsmen Center in Missouri, submitted a public comment opposing the rule. Her staff is trained to spot straw purchases by reading customer behaviour, an intuitive process she said online verification can’t replace.“It opens a whole can of worms. Places like GrabAGun and others are the problem, they make it harder for shops like us,” Santos said.The proposed rule is now in a public comment period closing in early August and may not be finalised until late 2026 or early 2027.
