New Jersey Politicians Want Gun Rights for Themselves, But Not for You

I’ve seen political hypocrisy before, but New Jersey’s latest legislative maneuver is breathtaking in its audacity. Assembly Bill A5958, introduced July 24, 2025, by Republican Assemblymen Robert Auth and Gregory Myhre, would place elected officials and their chiefs of staff on the same exemption list as police officers when it comes to New Jersey’s gun laws.

What A5958 Really Does

Under this bill, politicians and their hand-picked staff would be exempt from N.J.S.2C:39-5, New Jersey’s “unlawful possession of a weapon statute.” They could carry handguns without permits, possess rifles and shotguns without Firearms Purchaser IDs, and transport firearms throughout the state—just like cops.

Meanwhile, every other law-abiding citizen faces some of the most restrictive gun laws in America, including lengthy permit processes, “justifiable need” requirements, mandatory liability insurance, and potential prison time for possessing items legal under federal law.

They Think They’re Above You

Here’s what’s truly revealing: these politicians are essentially saying they deserve the same firearm privileges as law enforcement officers. They believe their lives and safety warrant the same protections we afford to police, but ordinary citizens—their own constituents—don’t deserve those same rights.

As Gun Owners of America’s Grant Clarkson put it: “This is a giant slap in the face to every law-abiding gun owner in New Jersey. They’re giving themselves rights while actively working to restrict yours.”

The Admission They Don’t Want to Make

A5958 inadvertently proves what we’ve been saying all along: politicians know firearms are effective tools for personal defense. They understand that when your life is on the line, you need immediate access to the tools that can save it.

But they only want that protection for themselves.

If New Jersey’s gun laws were really about public safety, wouldn’t these politicians want to follow them too? Instead, they’re admitting these restrictions are too burdensome—but only when applied to the political class.

You walk the same dangerous streets as your elected officials. If they need firearms for protection, so do you. The difference is they can afford private security and now want legal exemptions, while you’re left navigating bureaucratic mazes and facing potential prison time.

Constitutional Catastrophe

This bill creates exactly what the Fourteenth Amendment forbids: unequal protection under the law. A5958 creates a privileged class of gun carriers: politicians and their chosen aides. If these laws are constitutional when applied to citizens, they should be constitutional when applied to politicians.

The timing makes this even more insulting. Just days before A5958’s introduction, lawsuits were filed against New Jersey’s bans on suppressors and compact rifles—items that are perfectly legal under federal law but can land you in prison for 18 months in New Jersey.

The Real Message

Assembly Bill A5958 is a neon sign reading: “Guns work for self-defense, but only the political elite deserve that protection.”

These are the same politicians who’ve spent years telling you that strict gun control is necessary for public safety, that ordinary citizens can’t be trusted with firearms. Now they want to exempt themselves from those very restrictions while placing themselves on equal footing with police officers.

What You Must Do

If you’re a New Jersey resident, contact your representatives immediately. Tell them that if politicians and police need firearms for protection, so do their constituents. Demand that any firearms exemptions apply to all law-abiding citizens, not just the political class.

Better yet, demand they focus on protecting Second Amendment rights for everyone instead of creating special privileges for themselves.