Will our new President Carry a Gun?

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CLP said:
They disallow presidents and VP's from driving vehicles...
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Not so. I've seen Reagan driving a jeep and G.W. Bush driving a pickup on their ranches while POTUS. Trump driving himself to the pickup window at Wendy's on a regular basis would not be the smartest thing.

Executive Protection is an expertise the USSS has been developing since they started protecting the President on a regular basis since Teddy Roosevelt. They are very good at it.

Are Trump's private security any good? They have to be to work for Trump. However they don't have the experience, necessary connections, or the authority to ensure the security of the POTUS on a worldwide basis.

Can the POTUS carry? No one can tell him he can't. Should the POTUS carry? I've worked on Secret Service details. The only way I can see the POTUS having to trade shots is if all Secret Service agents were killed. That ain't going to happen. There is no sense in having the POTUS engage in a gun fight. SS agents near him will shield his body and get him out of there. Other agents will deal with the threat.

The USSS is often at odds with the POTUS over what he wants to do vs what provides the best security. The POTUS has to be seen where he goes which complicates security. Usually, a compromise is reached.

USSS work for the POTUS. Not the other way around. Trump got to where he is in business and politics by listening to people who know what they are doing. I don't think he's going to change his ways.
 
I can see Trump carrying... after all, what happened sometimes with the Praetorian Guard?

And after all, the Secret Service IS the Praetorian Guard now days.

Sometimes the enemy comes from within.

Deaf
 
I am moderately amused at the concept of a government agency trying to keep a President from excercising a fundamental civil right.

Just moderately amused, is all.

:evil:

Terry, 230RN
 
What the President does, or does not, do, doesn't set a precedent for the rest of us. Anyway, why should he carry, since he has the best 24-hour protection in the world? Besides that, if an assassin is going to get to him, and manages to overcome the Secret Service, a puny handgun in his briefcase or on his belt isn't going to make a bit of difference. I find the whole issue to be irrelevant.
 
Okay, honest question; have we actually seen Trump fire a gun? We know he used his connections to get a NYC permit, which I assume requires even a billionaire take some kind of training (or is the corruption really so far gone up there?), and we're told he owns a handgun or two for defensive use, but I can't easily find anything on him shooting, even at a scripted range session Rand Paul style.

ETA: I did find an article that some sheriff in NC claims Trump came by to shoot an M4 between rallies back in August, and said he fired "several shots" (LOL), followed by some kiss*** comments about his accuracy; "excellent marksmanship" "this man can shoot" "obviously proficient" --no pictures of targets or the distance or number of shots fired, naturally. In fact, it appears those in attendance were barred from documenting his deft gunmanship (or talking about it afterward in any real detail, as the staff would obviously be in a position to do).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...just-went-range-little-shooting-practice.html

(My skepticism about Trump's alleged marksmanship also comes from his reputation in golfing circles as an 'exaggerator' to put it nicely, and as we all know, fudging your numbers in golf goes hand in hand with fudging the size of your groups on the range ;))

I suppose I should be happy we at least had three candidates (Cruz, Paul, Trump) publicly admit to shooting an AR15/M4, and a fourth (Huckabee) who claimed to actually own one (the horror!) I guess that's progress.

I can see Trump carrying... after all, what happened sometimes with the Praetorian Guard?

And after all, the Secret Service IS the Praetorian Guard now days.
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Please. They haven't offed Hillary, and they hate that woman; she allegedly has newbies on her detail almost exclusively at this point, because anyone with the seniority to choose their assignment runs far away into the hills, screaming. There's been like half a dozen tell-all books by SS guys at this point that all claim she is loud, foul-mouthed, abusive to everyone, and likes to throw things in fits of rage. No, the SS simply don't do their jobs as well when morale is poor (case in point all the SS prostitution scandals under the Obama administration) which I suppose is a way of betraying their clients.

TCB
 
I'd love to see Trump with a pistol bulge under his jacket.
It's safe to say that in the modern era of the Secret Service that a principal wouldn't have had any hand in using his own weapon to repel an attack.
As a gesture to gun owners he would score massive points if it were public knowledge that he carrys and spends some time at the range.
 
I ran PSD in Iraq for the US ambassador to Iraq, and the CO of the Air Force over there (2 star). Generally, PSD teams prefer that their principals aren't packing. In the event that the poop hits the fan, the principle in all probability hasn't had the training that their team has, and would be much more of a hinderance and safety threat to the team. It is without a doubt best that the team is able to manhandle or move around the principle without having to fear that they're pointing a gun at them, and maybe even firing.

Obviously, since the 2 star was military personnel, we couldn't prevent him from having his rifle and pistol when we went outside the wire. We did keep his rifle in the back of the vehicle away from him, and he knew to not mess with his pistol unless it was absolutely necessary.
 
I thought I had read that Teddy Roosevelt carried, but perhaps not.

Edit: Woops, just read an above post. I guess he did.

I don't really know why he would carry if he has armed guards around him all the time who are better armed and better trained.

Does a mob boss carry? I don't really know. His goons sure do though.
 
As noted, VIP's with security are generally broken in to the idea they shouldn't be shooting - cause they might shoot someone who suddenly moves in front of them. They get to practice that kind of training with some live pyro, too, which is how Princess Diana wound up with a wonderful new short haircut. Unintentional, but not unanticipated.

Trump will likely get the same opportunity to experience how well trained the SS is in dropping him to the ground in one swift move and then covering him up with two agents. Now, considering that is part and parcel of how you protect the President - whatcha gonna do when they come for you? You won't even get the time to react, blade, draw, aim, flip off safety, align sights and pull trigger. You'll be on the ground long before then, getting covered up by 210 pound buffed out males wearing 25 pound vests.

Look for bruises in February with no explanation.

It does bring up an interesting point - once the SS takes over the responsibility, there are going to be lines drawn where Trumps security are a nogo. White House? Probably. Tac center? No, no clearances. Military flights to serve turkey in Afghanistan to the troops? Not even.

Trump security is going to be sidelined up to a point so the SS can do their job. As for the SS - lets not forget they aren't all that professional, trolling for whores in Colombia wasn't real smart was it? I suspect that if Trump wants world class security then he could afford military grade experienced and vetted entreprenuers who have been there and done that around the world. The career track of the Secret Service Isn't all that - if you have trained to organize a coup in a foreign country, or insert clandestinely by SCUBA to take out terrorists who seized an oil rig, would you voluntarily join the Secret Service and baby sit HRC? That is still a job requirement until she and her husband pass on.

Like Air Force One, I suspect Trump can do better with his security. They just won't be allowed in the public eye.
 
Usually you are asked to be on the Presidents Detail, as a reward for exceptional service. I knew one of the guys who was taken from the FBI, because of his exemplary record. He was an old girlfriends brother, who actually started with the Border Patrol, way back in the day. He displayed heroism under fire several times, and was offered the job at Treasury. There was no Homeland securiity back then so I don't remember who he initially worked for, but he was a hero type guy who would not think twice about taking a bullett for the Commander and Chief, who took his job very seriusly, never taked about it and really had no life other than work. He did tell me some stories about guys he worked with, and how dedicated they were.
 
Trump will likely get the same opportunity to experience how well trained the SS is in dropping him to the ground in one swift move and then covering him up with two agents. Now, considering that is part and parcel of how you protect the President - whatcha gonna do when they come for you? You won't even get the time to react, blade, draw, aim, flip off safety, align sights and pull trigger. You'll be on the ground long before then, getting covered up by 210 pound buffed out males wearing 25 pound vests.

Look for bruises in February with no explanation.
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He just needs to respond "Fight Club." with no further comment. That's hilarious, I had no idea VIPs were 'jumped into' their security detail --probably would have killed Hillary at this point, to be honest.
 
Some like to say your only as good as your training but I'll add that you are only as good as your boss or bosses.
SS agents chasing whores is a direct result of the permissive environment they were working in.
Their director and soon to be former president are to blame.
Trump packing as POTUS would be purely symbolic but would send a powerful message regardless.
 
What's the old saying "why do I carry a gun? Because a cop's too heavy!" Well, Trump basically has a whole pocketful of cops day and night with far better training and capabilities than he will ever have. Would I carry a gun if I were the president? Maybe, out of habit perhaps, but definitely not because I felt I needed too. This isn't Olympus has Fallen.
 
My gut feelings:

-Trump probably wouldn't have a clue which end the bullet comes out of
-SS probably STRONGLY recommends that he never touch a pistol or other firearm while he's president
-SS probably won't let him anywhere near a gun range or other place where bullets will be flying.

He's surrounded by a bubble of the most advanced security the world has to offer. Even if the odds of shooting himself are low, they are probably far higher than the odds of the president being able to effectively defend himself from an attack with a personally carried weapon. His only job in any attack is to get out of the way and let his multi million dollar security do its job.
 
According to a piece in the Washington Times, Trump owns a .38 Smith and a .45 HK, models not specified.
 
In the aftermath of the election, there's been far too much giddiness among gun owners about having a "champion" and "one of US!" in the White house.
There's nothing in the man's history to justify that degree of over-reaction.

Remains to be seen whether his post-election actions will cash the checks his pre-election mouth wrote.

Still a far better choice than the alternative was, but it's more a matter of cautious optimism than grounds for a spate of "Think Trump'll carry a gun?", "What gun you think is Trump's favorite?", "I think Trump's a .45 kinda guy, what do you think?", "Does Trump like stainless or blue?", "Heard at the gunshop that Trump's gonna have his protective detail switch to H&K pistols 'cause that's what he carries every day, and he knows his xxit when it comes to guns, by golly!", "Finally we got us a POTUS that'll stand up & shoot it out instead of just lettin' the Secret Service scurry him out to the limo!", and "Saw it on the Internet that Trump's told his detail if any shootin' starts to stand back, he gets the first shot!" :)

Wait & see how (or if) he actually does do anything for us.

As far as him carrying personally goes, even if he does, in the event of an "event" he'll do exactly what the Secret Service has trained for- he'll be bundled off & out by the appropriate agents while other appropriate agents deal with the shooting. And he'll do it exactly as he's told to do it.
Denis
 
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Llama Bob said:
I'd sure as hell carry, and probably a full size gun too. We've averaged about one serious assassination attempt a term since JFK was assassinated. It's a VERY dangerous job. GWB had a live grenade thrown at him in Georgia (the country, not the state). A guy shot up the Obama Whitehouse. Clinton came within feet of being assassinated by Bin Laden with a bomb. And then of course there was Hinckley and "Squeeky" Fromme. Sara Moore actually shot at Ford, but missed. Arthur Bremer who shot George Wallace tried for Nixon first and was scared off by the secret service.
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what good would a gun do for a presidential assassination attempt? would it have helped JFK?. a president will be shot from long range by a guy no one sees or at 2 feet away by complete surprise like Lincoln and ford were shot. it would not have helped Reagan one bit
 
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