Trump’s campaign clarifies that his adviser does not carry a weapon when around ex-president
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Donald Trump’s senior adviser Chris LaCivita has clarified that he does not carry a gun when he’s around the ex-president, who was the target of an apparent assassination attempt on Saturday.
Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to the campaign and Trump’s de facto campaign manager, made remarks on Tuesday at a 2nd Amendment event on the outskirts of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee. LaCivita was being interviewed by a representative of the US Concealed Carry Association (USCCA), which advocates for such laws across the country.
His interview came just three days after the former president became the first POTUS since Ronald Reagan to be injured by a shooter, which occurred on Saturday after a gunman opened fire at his rally. Secret Service officials say the shooting was an assassination attempt.
The Independent was in attendance, and using audio recorded during the event initially reported that LaCivita said the following: “I don’t, you know, I don’t generally talk about carrying or not. But generally, I do [carry a firearm] when I’m out with the boss.”
But the campaign provided clearer audio of LaCivita’s comments on Wednesday, in which he can actually be heard saying that he carries a firearm “when I’m not with the boss”.
The Independent regrets the error, which was the result of audio distortions in the recording.
While the event espoused safe gun ownership, LaCivita also quipped that he keeps one gun right next to his bed, unlocked.
“I mean, I kept my stuff locked up, except for the one next to my bed,” he said. “It’s obviously a duty for any law-abiding citizen, who wants to exercise the right [to bear arms] … because you only hear about the irresponsible ones.”
Gun owners are generally advised by groups that study gun violence to keep their firearms locked and in a secure location at all times, unless they are in use. The Bloomberg School of Public Health at John’s Hopkins notes that such practices significantly lessen the risk of firearms being stolen and entering the illegal market, as well as keeping them out of the hands of children or other familiar persons who may have knowledge of where unsecured firearms can be found.
“The most common reason people own firearms is for protection at home and the majority of firearm owners store at least one firearm unsecured, prioritizing quick ready access,” explained Dr Michael Anestis of the NJ Gun Violence Research Center at Rutgers University. “In making this decision, folks often overlook the dangers of firearm theft, of unintentional shootings (e.g., a child picking up the firearm and unintentionally shooting themself or someone else), or of a person in a suicidal crisis using that readily accessible firearm in a suicide attempt.”
The former president made an appearance on Monday at the RNC, his first public appearance since being injured after a gunman fired several shots during Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania rally. The ex-president suffered a minor injury to his ear, and was rushed offstage by Secret Service.
The assumed shooter was killed by Secret Service agents after scaling a rooftop near Trump’s speaking location on Saturday; the building was reportedly occupied by police SWAT teams who have traded blame with the Secret Service, which is generally responsible for securing locations where current and former presidents go.
In the wake of the shooting, it was revealed that the alleged shooter used a rifle purchased legally by his father more than a decade ago. It’s unclear how he obtained the weapon from his father.
