The Trace’s latest hit piece on the NRA is a textbook example of how anti-gun outlets manufacture outrage to keep their donors happy, but this time the effort collapses under its own weight. Rather than presenting new evidence of wrongdoing, the article recycles tired talking points about lobbying and political spending, conveniently ignoring that the NRA’s advocacy is precisely what millions of law-abiding gun owners pay for. By framing routine legislative engagement as some shadowy conspiracy, The Trace reveals more about its own bias than about any actual scandal, and readers who bother to check the footnotes quickly see the sourcing is thin and the conclusions preordained.

What makes the piece especially self-defeating is how it glosses over the NRA’s tangible wins that directly benefit the broader gun community, from successful litigation that struck down unconstitutional carry restrictions to tireless defense of due-process rights in red-flag law debates. When an outlet has to stretch half-truths to paint the nation’s oldest civil-rights organization as a villain, it signals that the real story—the steady expansion of shall-issue carry, constitutional-carry states, and court victories—isn’t the narrative they want their audience to hear. For 2A advocates, the takeaway is clear: these attacks are white noise meant to distract from policy successes, and the best response is to keep winning in the legislatures and courtrooms where it actually counts.