The Trump administration has removed an advisory defining gun violence as a public health issue from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ website, sparking controversy and debate. The advisory, initially released last summer, was removed to align with an executive order by Donald Trump aimed at protecting Second Amendment rights. The advisory had been well-received by violence prevention and research groups but faced criticism from Second Amendment law centers and advocacy groups, which accused the Biden administration of using public health as a pretext for advancing gun control measures.
The advisory's removal has raised concerns among those advocating for research into preventive methods for gun violence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have invested in research to expand the understanding of gun violence prevention. This research seeks to depoliticize the issue and address the complex factors contributing to gun violence in America.
"When people read gun violence is a public health problem, they read guns are a public health problem," said Daniel Semenza, highlighting the contentious nature of the advisory's framing.
The advisory's page, titled "firearm violence in America," provided extensive data on the impact of shootings, including information on firearm suicides and the number of American children and adolescents killed by gun violence. In 2023 alone, nearly 47,000 people died by firearms, with most of these deaths resulting from suicides. The removal of this information is part of a larger trend wherein thousands of pieces of health information and research have been taken down from federal websites. Some pages have been restored following court orders, but it remains uncertain if the "firearm violence in America" page will be reinstated.
The passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in June 2022 allocated significant funding for research into the often-overlooked consequences of shootings. However, the removal of the advisory and diminishing resources for gun violence research risk undoing years of progress in understanding and addressing this public health concern.
Advocates for gun rights argue that America's crime problem stems from criminal activity rather than firearms themselves. The National Rifle Association (NRA) emphasizes this viewpoint.
"This is an extension of the Biden Administration’s war on law-abiding gun owners. America has a crime problem caused by criminals," stated the NRA.
The Trump administration's decision is in line with its broader commitment to law enforcement and upholding law and order.
"Illegal violence of any sort is a crime issue, and as he again made clear during his recent speech at the Department of Justice, President Trump is committed to Making America Safe Again by empowering law enforcement to uphold law and order," declared the White House.
Critics, however, express disappointment over the removal, viewing it as a setback for efforts to address gun violence as a public health issue.
"I’m really disheartened and sad to hear about it. But it’s not because I’m surprised. This is a clear example of this administration pulling the wool over people’s eyes and being disingenuous about the things that harm people who are most vulnerable," remarked Daniel Semenza.