Gun Owners of America (GOA) has expressed strong opposition to Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) as a potential replacement for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The GOA is a grassroots organization devoted to defending the Second Amendment that finds Cornyn to be openly hostile to the Second Amendment.

GOA Federal Affairs Director Aidan Johnston said in a statement for the group: “The Senate deserves a conservative pro-gun leader, and John Cornyn is not that person.” 

The primary point of contention is Cornyn’s instrumental role in passing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The law makes it easier for states to enact “red-flag” laws that can deny fundamental rights to law-abiding citizens without due process. Johnston has described the law as a “gross infringement” of fundamental constitutional rights.  

Cornyn’s legislative actions, particularly his collaboration with Democrats on gun control measures, have not only drawn criticism from the GOA but also from the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR). Dudley Brown, President of NAGR, labeled Cornyn as “the most anti-gun Republican in Congress,” underscoring the discontent among gun rights proponents. Even Joe Biden has described the establishment Republican Cornyn’s stance on gun control as “rational.” Second Amendment advocates know that if a Democrat describes a Republican as “rational,” that simply means they are willing to negotiate away fundamental rights.

“'@JohnCornyn engaged in the act of selling out his constituents’ constitutional rights. He has no authority to negotiate away the constitutional rights of Americans,' Johnston said. 'There is no excuse for funding gun confiscation laws.'”

Read more⤵️https://t.co/8IhpDeje1J

— Aidan Johnston (@RealGunLobbyist) June 27, 2022

Cornyn’s bid for Senate leadership occurs as McConnell, the long-standing GOP leader, announced he is stepping down in November. The upcoming transition period presents a pivotal moment for the Republican Party as there will certainly be competition between establishment neoconservatives like Cornyn and Sen. John Thune (R-SD) and America First Trump-supporters like Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT) and J.D. Vance (R-OH) to guide the Party going forward. 

Gun Owners of America speaks out against John Cornyn's bid to replace Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP leader https://t.co/dImb9SDykx

— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) March 3, 2024

The backlash from influential gun rights organizations like GOA and NAGR highlights a broader debate within the Republican Party and among its conservative base. In this critical election year, it is essential that every American who cherishes the rights protected by the Second Amendment make their voting decisions accordingly.