Gun violence in the United States has declined during President Donald Trump’s first year back in office compared to President Joe Biden’s final year, according to new data from the Gun Violence Archive (GVA). The numbers, released Thursday in a post on X, reveal decreases in overall gun deaths, gun injuries, and even incidents categorized as “mass shootings” under GVA’s broad definition.
The GVA is frequently cited by gun control advocates who use its data to argue for stricter firearm restrictions. However, the group defines mass shootings more broadly than traditional standards, counting incidents with as few as four people injured—regardless of fatalities—and including gang violence, domestic disputes, and drive-by shootings. Even under these looser parameters, the organization’s own data shows declines under Trump compared to Biden.
The figures show that 2025, Trump’s first year as the 47th president, has seen fewer gun-related fatalities and injuries than 2024, Biden’s last year in office. This decline comes despite Trump’s strong pro-Second Amendment stance, which emphasizes protecting gun rights rather than imposing new restrictions. By contrast, Biden championed an aggressive gun control agenda during his presidency, including attempts to restrict popular firearms and push for bans on high-capacity magazines.
Critics of Biden argued that his policies focused on restricting law-abiding gun owners while doing little to stop criminals. Under Trump, federal policy has shifted toward enforcing existing laws and emphasizing crime control rather than imposing new firearm bans. The latest GVA statistics appear to show that gun violence has trended downward despite the loosening of Biden-era regulatory pressure.
The findings undermine one of the central arguments of gun control activists—that tighter restrictions automatically translate into greater public safety. Instead, the early results of Trump’s presidency suggest that violent crime can fall even while protecting the rights of lawful gun owners.
