Senator Dick Durbin, Anti-Gun Democrat, Retires After 44 Years—But Epstein Flight Log Questions Linger

Gun Owners Can Finally Say “Good Riddance” to One of the Senate’s Loudest Anti-Second Amendment Voices.

Washington, D.C. – Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s longtime anti-gun enforcer and the #2 Democrat in the chamber, announced his retirement this week, ending a 44-year reign that Second Amendment supporters will not be mourning. However, while legacy media outlets spin Durbin’s departure as a noble step aside for “new leadership,” there may be more to this exit than just old age and term fatigue.

Durbin is 80. That might sound elderly to most Americans, but by Democrat Senate standards, he’s barely middle-aged. Sen. Dianne Feinstein died in office at 90. Sen. Bernie Sanders is 83 and still running for reelection. So why is Durbin bowing out now?

Epstein Flight Logs Questions Heating Up

One possible answer is the growing pressure surrounding the still-secret Jeffrey Epstein flight logs and Durbin’s role in keeping them from public scrutiny.

In January, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) publicly called out Durbin for blocking her repeated efforts to subpoena Epstein’s private flight manifests while he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee. According to Blackburn, Durbin claimed ignorance about the requests, only to be confronted on video with her earlier attempts and his refusal to act.

“Senator Durbin claimed he didn’t know about my requests to subpoena Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs,” Blackburn said. “That was a lie. I brought it up multiple times, and he actively blocked it.”

Blackburn’s statement is now fueling speculation that Durbin’s sudden exit isn’t about “making way” for the next generation, but rather about getting out before more uncomfortable questions arise.

Thank you @hillary__vaughn.

It’s a simple question: Why won’t Democrats agree to my subpoena request for Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs? https://t.co/uDyx9FWyjX

— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) December 6, 2023

The Judiciary Committee, under new Republican leadership, has already indicated a willingness to revisit the Epstein investigation. Should subpoenas for the flight logs go forward, names may start dropping—and the public may begin to ask why Durbin worked so hard to bury the truth.

A Legacy of Anti-Gun Hostility

Durbin’s time in Congress has been defined by an unwavering loyalty to the anti-gun lobby. Over the years, he backed every major gun control initiative, from magazine bans to so-called “assault weapon” bans, and even supported the idea of holding gun manufacturers liable for crimes they had nothing to do with—an idea so legally absurd it flies in the face of basic American jurisprudence.

As Judiciary Committee chairman, he routinely gave a national stage to anti-gun talking points, dragging in firearm industry representatives and treating them more like criminals than witnesses. In one 2024 hearing on “bump stocks and conversion devices,” Durbin opened with a montage of violent crimes—graphic videos meant to emotionally manipulate rather than engage in real legislative debate. He then called on Congress to “act” against manufacturers for criminal misuse of firearms already banned under existing law.

Of course, this is the same Senator who fought tooth and nail to erode the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA)—a law designed to stop frivolous lawsuits from bankrupting the lawful firearms industry.

Durbin even presided over divisive hearings targeting “Stand Your Ground” laws, questioning whether average Americans could be trusted with the right to defend themselves—implying, through a parade of handpicked witnesses, that lawful gun ownership leads to racial injustice.

A “Dream Come True” for Gun Grabbers

Durbin was hailed by anti-gun groups like Everytown for Gun Safety and Giffords as a “champion of gun reform.” His alignment with the Biden administration’s gun control agenda made him a central figure in coordinating efforts to punish the firearms industry, restrict gun ownership, and suppress pro-gun research, including efforts to quietly erase CDC data showing over a million defensive gun uses per year.

In fact, CDC insiders revealed that it was Durbin’s office that helped coordinate meetings between gun control activists and agency officials to scrub this inconvenient truth from public-facing documents—proof, critics say, that his role in anti-gun policy extended well beyond Capitol Hill.

Good Riddance—and Good Luck to Whoever Replaces Him

Durbin’s retirement will trigger a competitive primary among Illinois Democrats, many of whom share his progressive politics. While the seat is likely to remain blue, gun owners across America know that removing an entrenched, agenda-driven figure like Durbin from the national stage is a win in itself.

“Senator Durbin spent a career undermining the Second Amendment,” said Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. “…Durbin’s hostility toward the Second Amendment is well known to the gun rights community.””

Now, with a new Senate majority and a pro-Second Amendment president in the highest office, Durbin’s departure signals a shift. For the first time in decades, gun owners may finally see real progress—not just in blocking anti-gun bills, but in rolling back the damage done by leaders like Durbin.

It’s been a long time coming, but one thing’s for sure: America’s gun owners won’t miss him.

A Career Gun Owners Won’t Miss

Whatever the real reason for Durbin’s departure, one thing is certain: his exit is a major win for the firearm-owning public. Durbin may try to leave quietly, but the people he’s worked to disarm for decades won’t forget his legacy.

And if the Epstein flight logs do come out? Don’t be surprised if this “retirement” starts to look more like a strategic retreat.

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