Assistant Attorney General Affirms AR-15 Protections

In a recent video shared on X, Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, stressed that semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15 are “constitutionally protected.” She referenced a Supreme Court decision from 2022 that, according to her, clarifies that such rifles are indeed covered under the Second Amendment.

Dhillon revealed that she had sent a letter to Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, cautioning her that the Justice Department would pursue legal action if she endorsed the “assault weapons” ban recently passed by the state legislature, which is controlled by Democrats. Instead of approving the bill by the April 13 deadline, Spanberger opted to return it to Congress with minor amendments, which Dhillon believes do not address the concerns outlined in her letter.

Furthermore, Dhillon highlighted that Spanberger had already signed other gun regulations, including one targeting “ghost guns,” and suggested that future evaluations of the legislation would be in line with ATF guidelines.

She criticized another piece of legislation signed by Spanberger, claiming it effectively removes legal protections for gun manufacturers. Dhillon expressed serious concerns, stating that this law could undermine the gun manufacturing industry in the U.S. She argued that the right to bear arms, as guaranteed by the Constitution, loses its meaning if access to firearms is restricted.