Trump DOJ Zaps Gun Rights Restoration For Felons Back To Life

August 17, 2026 2:30 PM ET Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Monday that the Justice Department (DOJ) was reviving a process by which those who lost gun rights due to criminal convictions could have them restored.While federal law provides for a process to restore Second Amendment rights lost after a felony conviction or other circumstances, Congress had largely blocked the process since 1992 by refusing to allow the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to spend any federal funds on it. Blanche described the new process as “commonsense” while also respecting Second Amendment rights. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Blue County Throws In Towel, Agrees To Stop Dragging Feet On Concealed Carry Permits)“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and the federal government