Silencerco CEO Invited to Trump Inauguration

At the Shot Show Industry day at the range, I stopped at the busy Silencerco exhibit, range lanes.  I chatted with Matt Pinner, a public relations specialist for Silencerco.  I was working to obtain another interview with Josh Waldron, CEO of Silencerco and one of the founders of the American Suppressor Association (ASA). The ASA has had tremendous success in removing state legal barriers to Suppressor ownership and use in hunting.

Before the election, Josh had told me that Donald Trump’s two oldest sons,Donald Jr., and Eric, had used Silencerco products. Silencerco was an early and vocal endorser of Donald Trump for President.  Matt was not sure if I would be able to obtain an interview with Josh Waldron.  The reason: on Friday, 13 January, Josh had received one of the coveted invitations to Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States. Josh had expected to spend more time at the Shot Show, but the Inauguration took precedence. From Silencerco’s facebook page:

SilencerCo CEO Josh Waldron is honored to be a part of the momentous occasion of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration on January 20th. SilencerCo’s early and enthusiastic support of the incoming Republican administration is directly related to its ideological alignment with Josh’s and SilencerCo’s pro 2nd Amendment beliefs.

The Hearing Protection Act (HPA), which would remove the onerous provisions the the NFA from silencers, has been sponsored by the ASA.  Representative Matt Salmon from Arizona introduced it.  The act would change the status to silencers from an item treated much like a machine gun, to one treated as an ordinary rifle or shotgun.  The act is worded in a way to keep the status that much state legislation requires as being approved of by the federal government.  It is a smart move that is hard to argue against. Even the BATFE seems to approve, or at least, is unwilling to fight this legislation.

The HPA is getting a lot of attention.  For several weeks, it has been in the top ten of legislation that is being looked at over the Internet.

Does the invitation of Josh Waldron mean that the HPA will be a priority for the Trump administration?  At best, we can say that Silencerco is not being ignored.

The HPA could be a big win-win for a Trump administration.  It is highly popular legislation with virtually no down side. The only people who oppose it are ignorant Trump opponents, who would oppose him if he proposed cheap energy for all Americans, with scientific and engineering studies to back it up.

Josh Waldron.  Invited to the Trump inauguration.  Have a great time Josh.  I hope to interview you about it in the future.