In a delicious twist of irony that’s straight out of a political satire script, California Governor Gavin Newsom and his cadre of anti-gun Democrats are suddenly channeling their inner Second Amendment enthusiasts—complete with concealed carry permits and fervent defenses of armed self-defense. The trigger? A tragic shooting in Minneapolis involving an anti-ICE activist who was legally packing heat under a concealed carry permit. As Second Amendment Foundation’s Kostas Moros breaks it down with Cam Edwards on their latest podcast, Newsom’s crew is now parroting pro-2A talking points like good guys with guns stop bad guys, a phrase they’ve spent years demonizing. It’s peak political cosplay: donning the costume of gun rights advocates only when it suits their narrative, all while pushing draconian measures like assault weapon bans and red flag laws back home in the Golden State.

This isn’t just hypocrisy; it’s a masterclass in selective amnesia that exposes the fragility of the gun control playbook. Newsom, who signed legislation making California one of the hardest places to legally carry a firearm, now feigns shock that an armed leftist was exercising the very rights his policies suppress for everyone else. Moros nails it by highlighting how even some in the Biden administration are echoing these sentiments, adopting rhetoric from the NRA they once ridiculed. The context here is rich: post-Bruen, with courts striking down may-issue permitting schemes nationwide, these Democrats are inadvertently validating the Supreme Court’s affirmation that the Second Amendment protects carry for self-defense in public. It’s a forced evolution, where real-world events—like a progressive activist relying on their concealed carry to confront perceived threats—shatter the myth that only right-wing extremists need guns.

For the 2A community, the implications are gold: this cosplay is a propaganda own-goal, handing us viral clips to dismantle the guns are only for conservatives lie and underscore that self-defense is a universal right. It weakens their moral high ground on common-sense reforms and accelerates momentum for permitless carry laws sweeping red states (and even some blue ones). Watch these clips spread—Newsom’s flip-flop could be the meme that sways undecided moderates, reminding them that when push comes to shove, even the staunchest gun grabbers reach for their sidearm. Stay vigilant, 2A warriors; their costumes are slipping, revealing the truth they’ve long ignored.