COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gun store owners say the so-called “Trump slump” in sales has continued despite renewed calls for controls after the massacre at a Florida high school last month.
Sales of firearms slowed dramatically after the election of Republican Donald Trump as president in 2016 allayed fears of a Democratic crackdown on gun owners.
David Dobransky runs a small gun store in North Canton, Ohio. He says the day after Trump’s election, it was as if someone turned off a faucet. Sales have slumped since then, and nothing has changed recently.
In Rapid City, South Dakota, things are back to normal at Rapid-Fire Firearms after panic buying under President Barack Obama.
Gun makers Sturm, Ruger and American Outdoor Brands have both seen their stocks plunge since Trump was elected.