Andrew Clyde owns a gun store in Georgia that sells a shitload of AR15s, body armor and ammo.
Seems like when he hands out lapel pins shaped like assault weapons, it's not just another opportunity for Republicans to spit in our face (this is Nat'l Gun Violence Survivors Week for fuck's sake) but also a pretty blatant abuse of his office in order to further his own commercial interests.
THERE IS NO HONOR
IN THE GOP
Georgia congressman Andrew Clyde made no apologies for the obvious troll—and said he even had more to share.
The man responsible for handing out pins in the shape of assault weapons that have been adopted by right-wing Republicans in Congress has revealed himself—as clashes between the political parties grow over the controversial accessory.
Earlier this week, the pins appeared on the lapels of Rep. George Santos (R-NY) and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) in committee meetings and on the House floor.
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), who has worn the pin for years, was also seen parading it on Wednesday as he delivered remarks critical of gun restrictions.
The pins did not go unnoticed, with Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) tweeting out photos asking: “Where are these assault weapon pins coming from?”
It now appears we have an answer.
Turns out Clyde, who Business Insider revealed last year owns Georgia's No. 4-ranked firearms store, is responsible for dishing out the pins. He even says he has “plenty more to give out.”
“I’m Congressman Andrew Clyde for Georgia’s 9th District,” Rep. Clyde says in a video posted to Twitter on Thursday night claiming credit for the stunt.
“I hear that this little pin I’ve been giving out on the House floor has been triggering some of my Democrat colleagues,” he continues, no doubt referencing Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), who described them as “despicable and an insult to all of the victims of assault weapons,” and Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), who asked simply, “What is wrong with you?”
Clyde then explains his decision to hand out the pins and urges those who want one to visit his office.
“I give it out to remind people of the Second Amendment of the Constitution and how important it is in preserving our liberties.
“If I missed you on the House floor, please stop by my office in Cannon, I have plenty more to give out.”
The news was greeted by Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), who tweeted in reply: “Save a pin for me!”
It came on the same day Rep. Clyde said he filed a measure to overturn two bills passed by the D.C. Council: one that would allow non-citizens the right to vote in local elections and another that would update the city’s outdated criminal code.
It is also National Gun Violence Survivors’ Week.
(from May, 2022)Members of Congress come from all sorts of backgrounds, but most don't own a gun store.
Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia's 9th Congressional District is the owner of Clyde Armory in Athens.
According to Clyde's financial disclosure, the store is worth up to $25 million.
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Support for Second Amendment rights and firearm ownership are conservative staples in Congress.
But as lawmakers again debate firearm restrictions in the aftermath of an elementary school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, a member Congress actually owns a gun store: Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia's 9th Congressional District.
When not working in Washington, DC, Clyde leads the No. 4-ranked firearm store in Athens, Georgia, according to Yelp: Clyde Armory.
According to Clyde's 2021 federal financial disclosure, the congressman's stake in the store is worth anywhere between $5 million and $25 million, and it earned him between $1 million and $5 million in income in 2020 alone.
In addition to being a retail gun store, the armory also acts as "law enforcement supply," per the disclosure.
The store's website shows it sells a multitude of firearms and accessories, including military-style semiautomatic rifles, weapon silencers, and ballistic helmets.
Among the items for sale at Clyde Armory: a Colt-manufactured AR-15 rifle for $1,349.95 and a .50 caliber semi-automatic rifle for $11,384.95.
Clyde is supported by the National Rifle Association — the organization's political action committee donated $1,000 to Clyde's campaign in 2020, according to nonpartisan research group OpenSecrets.
Representatives from Clyde's office did not respond to Insider's questions and request for comment.
But according to Clyde's campaign website, he's got big plans for firearm rights in Congress. He wants to:
- Repeal several taxes on firearms and ammunition
- Deregulate weapon silencers, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns
- Eliminate the Brady background check system
In December 2020, Clyde told Fox News that the nation's current gun background check system is flawed and "puts the federal government between the Constitution and the individual in a way that denies the person their individual constitutional right. That's not right."
The congressman also spoke out in March against firearm records kept by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
"As a steadfast supporter of the Second Amendment and a Federal Firearms Licensee by trade, I find the ATF's egregious abuse of power deeply unsettling and in need of swift action from Congress in order to protect law-abiding gun owners' privacy and Second Amendment rights," Clyde said alongside members of the House Second Amendment Caucus.
Clyde, a freshman representative, may be best known for equating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol to "a normal tourist visit."
He sits on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Homeland Security Committee. He's also a member of the House Freedom Caucus.
Clyde coasted to victory in his Republican primary Tuesday night, easily defeating his GOP challengers.
Being in a "Safe R" district, he's likely to win re-election in November, according to Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
The congressman also spoke out in March against firearm records kept by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
"As a steadfast supporter of the Second Amendment and a Federal Firearms Licensee by trade, I find the ATF's egregious abuse of power deeply unsettling and in need of swift action from Congress in order to protect law-abiding gun owners' privacy and Second Amendment rights," Clyde said alongside members of the House Second Amendment Caucus.
Clyde, a freshman representative, may be best known for equating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol to "a normal tourist visit."
He sits on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Homeland Security Committee. He's also a member of the House Freedom Caucus.
Clyde coasted to victory in his Republican primary Tuesday night, easily defeating his GOP challengers.
Being in a "Safe R" district, he's likely to win re-election in November, according to Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
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