The anti-gun nonprofit 97Percent—once infamous for its wildly exaggerated claim that 97% of Americans back universal background checks (a poll-rigged talking point if there ever was one)—is slinking back into the spotlight after a humiliating plagiarism scandal cratered its credibility. Remember 2022? Their executive director got busted lifting chunks of content wholesale from other sources, forcing a full leadership purge and a radio silence that lasted years. Now, they’re reemerging as a shadow of their former selves, gutted internally and helmed by a Bloomberg School of Public Health alum who’s a retired cop with a clear anti-2A bent. This isn’t a phoenix rising; it’s more like a zombie shuffle, propped up by the same billionaire-backed ecosystem that funds Michael Bloomberg’s endless war on your rights.
Dig deeper, and the implications for the 2A community are almost comical in their predictability. Bloomberg’s school has long been a factory for junk studies painting gun owners as public health menaces—think Everytown’s astroturfed research that ignores defensive gun uses and inflates urban crime stats to push red-flag laws. Handing the reins to one of their ex-cop disciples means 97Percent will likely recycle the same tired playbook: emotional anecdotes over data, demands for common-sense registries that morph into confiscation schemes, and partnerships with legacy media to amplify the noise. But here’s the pro-2A silver lining—they’re weaker now, with diminished staff and funding trails pointing to desperate Bloomberg cash infusions. This revival screams mission creep fatigue; after Supreme Court smackdowns like Bruen, their polling gimmicks ring even hollower against a public increasingly armed and skeptical.
For gun rights advocates, treat this as a rallying cry: expose the plagiarism ghosts, fact-check their 97% myth (which collapsed under scrutiny from outfits like Just Facts), and counter with real stats from the CDC on how armed citizens stop crimes daily. 97Percent’s comeback isn’t a threat—it’s a target-rich environment for memes, op-eds, and voter mobilization. Bloomberg’s money can’t buy back trust they’ve already torched. Stay vigilant, stock up on ammo, and let’s keep building the red wall they love to whine about.
