Citing "two officials familiar with the internal discussions," CNN reports that "senior Justice Department officials are weighing proposals to limit transgender people's right to possess firearms." It says "Justice Department leadership is seriously considering whether it can use its rulemaking authority" to "declare that people who are transgender are mentally ill and can lose their Second Amendment rights to possess firearms."
This idea is so legally loony that it is hard to believe anyone trained in the law, let alone "senior Justice Department officials," would entertain it. But the New York Post says it has independently confirmed the story, citing "sources familiar with the talks."
The immediate impetus for the proposal, according to both outlets, was the August 27 shooting that killed two children and injured 21 other people at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis. Police have identified the perpetrator, who killed herself after attacking the worshipers, as a 23-year-old transgender woman.
