WASHINGTON — Thousands more firearms dealers across the United States will have to run background checks on buyers at gun shows or other places outside brick-and-mortar stores, according to a Biden administration rule that will soon go into effect.
The rule aims to close a loophole that has allowed tens of thousands of guns to be sold every year by unlicensed dealers who do not perform background checks to ensure the potential buyer is not legally prohibited from having a firearm. Gun rights groups are expected to fight it in court.
It’s the administration’s latest effort to combat gun violence. But in a contentious election year, it’s also an effort to show voters – especially younger ones for whom gun violence deeply resonates – that the White House is trying to stop the deaths.
“This is going to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and felons,” President …