Illinois State Senator Caught in Chicago Trying to Board an Airplane with a Handgun

By Greg Campbell
TPNN Contributor

On Wednesday, Illinois State Senator Donne Trotter was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport for trying to board an airplane with a loaded handgun- a felony that carries a penalty of one to three years in prison.

And while that may not be a smart thing to do, what makes it ironic is that Trotter openly advocates for gun control, including laws against concealed-carrying of firearms, making him not only guilty of a felony, but of being a hypocrite, too.

Trotter was on his way to Washington D.C. and has claimed that he intends to run to claim the U.S. Congressional seat for Illinois vacated by Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who resigned amidst allegations that he misused campaign funds for personal expenses.

Trotter’s official biography proudly claims,

“As an advocate of gun control, in his first term as a State Representative, Donne E. Trotter ushered in Illinois’ first comprehensive law banning assault weapons.”

Illinois is nationally known for its incredibly strict gun control policies. Aside from the aforementioned ban on “assault weapons,” the state is also the only state in the union to not issue a provision for concealed carrying of firearms to civilians. Also, Illinois law mandates that all owners of firearms or firearm ammunition must have a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card- which Trotter had on him.

Making this story even more ironic is that Trotter was trying to fly out of Chicago, the modern-day battleground of gun rights politics. In the recent McDonald v. Chicago Supreme Court decision, the Court held that the right to individual ownership of firearms extended to states per the Fourteenth Amendment. However, despite the ruling, Illinois and, especially, Chicago have fought to continue the
battle against lawful handgun ownership.

After being caught going through security, Trotter claimed that he moonlights for a security agency. Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said,

“I don’t know why he would have a gun. If it’s a legal gun, he should know better than bringing it on a plane.”

There’s a lot of this going around. Recently, Bob Costas spouted off about the dangers of firearms, while being protected by men with firearms. Trotter is, apparently, content with hindering the rights of Illinois citizens to protect themselves while he carries a firearm.

Fundamentally, these gun control advocates know that firearms, in the proper hands, save lives. However, they are content with relying on their usage for their own safety while singing the praise of unconstitutional laws that endanger Americans.

So, let’s rejoice a bit in having caught a hypocrite in the act.