Key Takeaways
- Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon predicts the Supreme Court will rule AR-15 style rifles legal for all law-abiding Americans.
- The DOJ has filed lawsuits against Denver and other jurisdictions to challenge local bans on AR-15 rifles, using a civil rights statute.
- Dhillon emphasizes that circuit splits often prompt Supreme Court review, and the DOJ aims to create favorable rulings to support the AR-15 issue.
- President Trump expressed support for Dhillon’s prediction and the DOJ’s strategy on Truth Social, reaching millions of followers.
- The potential ruling could affect millions in states and localities with current AR-15 bans, solidifying the Second Amendment rights.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
WASHINGTON, DC — Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who oversees the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and its new Second Amendment Section, predicts the Supreme Court will eventually rule that AR-15 style rifles are legal for all law-abiding Americans to own and operate. President Donald Trump amplified the prediction on Truth Social, sharing the interview with his audience on May 6, 2026.
As reported by Just the News, Dhillon made the prediction in an interview with John Solomon following the DOJ’s lawsuit this week against the City and County of Denver over its ban on AR-15 style rifles, which I covered earlier this week.
The Prediction
“I think there is going to be a ruling eventually from the Supreme Court that AR-15s are legal for all law-abiding citizens to own and operate,” Dhillon told Just the News. “We intend to make sure they do that.”
Dhillon walked through the legal logic behind her prediction. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Smith and Wesson Brands v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos that the AR-15 is the most commonly owned and operated rifle in the United States. Heller and Bruen established that firearms in common use by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes are constitutionally protected.
“That leads to the inexorable conclusion that the AR-15 is presumptively legal all over America,” Dhillon said. “And denial of the right to own it and, in fact, criminalization of that in Denver, is something that is long overdue to be updated.”
More Lawsuits Coming
Dhillon made clear that Denver is not the end of the line. The District of Columbia has a similar ban, and the DOJ has already sued the District over related issues. She said the Department is actively looking for additional jurisdictions to challenge.
“We intend to make sure that citizens of Denver have the same rights as citizens of the rest of America. And we do have other cities like this,” she said. “We will be absolutely looking for other opportunities. And there are other types of issues as well.”
The legal strategy appears coordinated. The Second Amendment Section is using 34 U.S.C. Section 12601, the federal civil rights statute traditionally used to investigate police departments engaged in unconstitutional patterns of conduct, and applying it to local firearms bans deemed inconsistent with Heller and Bruen. Last week, the DOJ filed a second lawsuit against the State of Colorado over its 15-round magazine ban using the same framework, which I covered as well.
The Circuit Split Argument
Dhillon also explained why she believes the AR-15 issue is ripe for the Supreme Court.
“There is kind of a Circuit split on this issue. So the Fourth Circuit has some bad precedent on this issue, and we intend to create some good precedent in some other circuits in addition to what’s already there. And then I think it would be right for the Court.”
Circuit splits are one of the most reliable triggers for Supreme Court review. When federal appellate courts disagree on a constitutional question, the Supreme Court frequently steps in to resolve the disagreement. The DOJ’s lawsuit strategy is, in part, a deliberate effort to create favorable rulings in friendly circuits that will deepen the existing split and pressure the Court to take the issue.
More from USA Carry:
Acting AG Blanche on the Lawsuit
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche praised the Denver legal strike in connection with the broader campaign.
“The Constitution is not a suggestion, and the Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” Blanche said. “Denver’s ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles directly violates the right to bear arms. This Department of Justice will vigorously defend the liberties of law-abiding citizens.”
Dhillon credited the political leadership for clearing the runway.
“I want to thank the president for setting the tone at the beginning of his administration and having an executive order that made clear that the Second Amendment is a first class right in the United States, and Pam Bondi and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche have fully backed that up.”
Trump’s Truth Social Post
President Trump shared the Just the News article on Truth Social on Tuesday morning, May 6, 2026, putting the story in front of millions of followers and signaling clear White House support for Dhillon’s prediction and the DOJ’s litigation strategy. The post drew more than 5,000 ReTruths and 21,000 likes.
Why It Matters
The Second Amendment is a fundamental civil right, and the AR-15 is the most popular rifle in America. The combination of unanimous Supreme Court recognition that AR-15 style rifles are in common use, the Heller and Bruen frameworks protecting arms in common use for lawful purposes, and a coordinated DOJ litigation campaign now actively building circuit-level precedent, points toward a Supreme Court ruling that would settle the question once and for all.
If Dhillon is right, the seven or so states and several dozen localities with AR-15 bans on the books would all find themselves on the wrong side of a Supreme Court ruling. The practical effect for tens of millions of Americans who currently live under those bans, or who have to navigate around them when traveling, would be significant.
I’ll keep tracking the DOJ’s litigation campaign and the eventual Supreme Court showdown.
