Corporate executives who turn their businesses into political platforms should stop assuming their customers are on board. New Gallup polling shows most Americans do not want companies taking public positions on current events—a warning for corporations that have embraced gun control.
In an October 13 commentary, NSSF’s Larry Keane connects that finding to a familiar problem for gun owners: businesses treating opposition to the Second Amendment as a corporate virtue while expecting customers to keep spending.
Most Americans Want Less Corporate Politics
The 2026 Bentley-Gallup Business in Society survey found that 47% of adults support businesses taking public positions on current events, down four percentage points from 2025. Fifty-three percent oppose it.
Support splits sharply by party: 62% of Democrats favor corporate statements, compared with 45% of independents and 28% of Republicans. Even Democrats’ support fell nine percentage points.
Among employees, 56% said their own employers should not communicate positions on current events. The survey questioned 3,270 adults from May 4 to 11.
The results do not establish a blanket rejection of corporate advocacy. Majorities still support statements on specific subjects, including free speech, climate change and DEI. Nor does the poll measure opposition to gun-control policies specifically. news.gallup.com
But executives cannot reasonably assume that adopting an activist agenda represents everyone buying their products or working behind their counters.
Dick’s Learned Gun Owners Can Shop Elsewhere
Keane points to Dick’s Sporting Goods as an example of the commercial consequences. After the 2018 Parkland murders, Dick’s stopped selling modern sporting rifles and raised its firearm purchase age to 21. It also hired Washington lobbyists to advocate for additional gun restrictions. NSSF’s board unanimously expelled the retailer.
A company choosing its inventory is making a merchandising decision. Hiring lobbyists to restrict what Americans can buy from other businesses makes those Americans political targets.
NSSF cites approximately $300 million in lost sales following customers’ departures. The backlash showed that customers could reject its agenda with their wallets by shopping elsewhere.
Gun owners have no obligation to finance lobbying against their rights. A retailer cannot reasonably expect loyalty from people whose lawful purchases it wants politicians to prohibit.
For customers, this is a straightforward choice about where their dollars go. Businesses that respect lawful gun ownership can earn that business. Companies working to undermine it should expect to lose it.
Banks Have Also Reconsidered Corporate Gun Control
The same problem becomes more consequential when businesses control financial services. As AmmoLand reported, Citigroup dropped its firearms-specific policy in June 2025. JPMorgan Chase followed with a documented lending reversal, confirming in January 2026 that it had removed a restriction targeting civilian modern sporting rifle manufacturers.
Chase acknowledged that some anticipated risks were smaller than expected—and that rejecting prospective customers carries risks, too.
That admission cuts through years of corporate posturing. Lawful firearm manufacturers are businesses with employees, customers and commercial value. Treating their products as politically unacceptable can mean turning away worthwhile business.
Keane also identifies reversals involving Stripe, Circle, Bill.com and Ramp. Those developments reinforce the need to challenge restrictions rather than accept corporate gun control as inevitable. www.nssf.org
The poll does not prove political activism caused any particular financial loss. It does challenge the assumption that corporate political statements enjoy broad public backing.
The Second Amendment belongs to the people. Executives who campaign against it should expect gun owners to remember when choosing where to spend their money. Corporate America is free to speak, and gun owners are free to take their wallets elsewhere.
About Duncan Johnson:
Duncan Johnson is a lifelong firearms enthusiast and unwavering defender of the Second Amendment—where “shall not be infringed” means exactly what it says. A graduate of George Mason University, he enjoys competing in local USPSA and multi-gun competitions whenever he’s not covering the latest in gun rights and firearm policy. Duncan is a regular contributor and editor-in-chief for AmmoLand News and is responsible for AmmoLand’s daily gun-rights reporting and industry coverage.
