What the overturning of California’s assault weapons ban means for America

A judge's decision on the 32-year-old law could have national implications if it heads to the US supreme court

In a polarizing decision on Friday night, a federal judge struck down California's 32-year-old ban on assault weapons, ruling that it violated Americans' constitutional right to own guns for self protection. In the 94-page decision, Judge Roger Benitez compared an AR-15 rifle to a Swiss army knife" and falsely claimed that more Californians had died from the Covid-19 vaccine than from mass shootings.

Although the decision has sparked outrage in California, it has the potential to have a much broader national impact. If the case is appealed to the supreme court, the court's new conservative majority could use the legal battle to rule that banning military-style assault weapons" is unconstitutional, undermining the Biden administration's endorsement of a national ban.