White House Removes Gun Violence as Public Health Issue
The Trump administration removed former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s advisory on gun violence from the Department of Health and Human Services website, citing an executive order protecting Second Amendment rights. This action eliminated data on firearm violence’s impact, including suicide rates and child deaths, provoking criticism from researchers who view gun violence as a public health issue requiring comprehensive solutions beyond law enforcement. The removal is part of a broader trend of deleting health information from federal websites, potentially hindering ongoing research and progress on gun violence prevention. The White House maintains that addressing violence is a law enforcement matter.
John Q. Hosedrinker