Giffords Group Reacts to Trump Justice Department’s Decision

On Thursday morning, Gabby Giffords’ gun control organization, Giffords, experienced a wave of concern after the Trump Justice Department declined to contest a recent court ruling that invalidated the suppressor regulations set by the National Firearms Act (NFA).

According to reports, U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendricks ruled on August 5, 2026, against the registration mandates of the NFA in the case of Jensen vs. ATF. This decision paved the way for individuals, particularly those involved in collective lawsuits, to transfer suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and shotguns without needing to follow the NFA’s registration protocols.

It’s worth noting that Judge Hendricks allowed the government a week to appeal this ruling before it took effect. If no appeal was made, the decision would be implemented on August 13, 2026. The Department of Justice chose not to file an appeal, which meant that on the morning of August 13, one of the plaintiffs, Silencer Shop, was able to transfer the suppressors without going through the registration process.

This development did not sit well with Giffords.

Meanwhile, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which was once called Handgun Control, also expressed outrage on the same morning. They criticized the Justice Department for not utilizing “common sense” regulations regarding suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and shotguns.

Interestingly, they did not clarify why special regulations were imposed on short-barreled rifles and shotguns, or why suppressors, which are technically non-firearm items, fell under gun regulation.