By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Brandon Herrera, the YouTube podcaster and entrepreneur-turned-political candidate, told the Gun Rights Policy Conference that gun owners are “succeeding on levels that we didn’t think were possible 25 years ago. It’s phenomenal, but that doesn’t mean we can stop. We have to keep up the pressure.”
During his brief time at the podium, Herrera reminded his audience about the importance of activism, and how it is crucial to be involved, his own personal experience being an example.
“In my congressional race,” Herrera explained, “we were able to knock out a Republican congressman, a sitting Republican congressman, who was one of the best funded incumbents in the entire state of Texas that voted for gun control like the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was a Joe Biden-led piece of gun control legislation.”
He was referring to disgraced former Congressman Tony Gonzales, who suspended his re-election campaign earlier this year after losing in the March primary, and following disclosures and his admission of an affair with a staffer who took her own life. He resigned from office in April, leaving Herrera as the “presumptive” Republican nominee, as noted by Wikipedia.
Herrera delighted the audience when he recounted his purchase of a suppressor without an NFA tax stamp.
“That’s phenomenal,” he declared. “And I would have never thought that would have ever happened five years ago.”
He referred to the spread of “Constitutional carry” in the majority (29) of states, and what appears to be the dismantling of the National Firearms Act “that is happening before our very eyes.”
However, Herrera said he doesn’t think the firearms community, including the industry, does a “good enough job at as an industry and as a community is celebrating all the wins that we deliver on; all of the things that we’re doing right, all of the things that we fought so hard and we did successfully.”
On the other hand, he recognized and verbally applauded ATF Chief Robert Cekada for appearing at the GRPC.
“I think we might actually have a pro-gun ATF Director,” Herrera said. “An ATF director that was speaking before a congressional hearing defending the legality of forced reset triggers. Somebody who’s giving us guidance and trying to protect FFLs now that we’ve won he lawsuit on suppressors and we’re transferring those without NFA tax stamps. Somebody who’s actually looking out for the interests of gun owners.”
He also offered kudos to gun rights organizations pursuing legal actions against gun control laws.
“But we also have a lot of amazing organizations,” he said. “I mean the Second Amendment Foundation, has been phenomenal. Gun Owners of America, Firearms Policy Coalition, National Association for Gun Rights; there are so many people that are involved in the fight and are amplifying your voice and we’re seeing the fruits of that, which is very nice…I mean that lawsuit printer is going crazy right now, and for once we have something that I don’t think I have ever seen in my entire life.”
But Herrera offered a caution to the crowd.
“I know we’ve got a big future ahead of us but we just cannot let off the gas,” he warned. “We have to keep this moving. We have to make sure that we don’t rest on our laurels. It’s the old saying, ‘You’re only as good as your last at bat.’
“We’ve got to keep moving to the next battle (and) the next battle because eventually, we will win the war,” he predicted, “and that’s what we’re going to do.”
