Since joining GrabAGun in March, Donald Trump Jr. has emerged as the public face of the online firearms retailer. As previously reported, Trump Jr. and conservative financier Omeed Malik intend to take GrabAGun public through a merger with Colombier Acquisition Corp. II, a special purpose acquisition company. Following the merger, GrabAGun plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “PEW.” Malik and Trump Jr. have worked together previously on conservative alt-tech platforms Truth Social, PublicSquare, and Rumble. Most recently, the pair unveiled plans for a Washington, D.C., conservative social club, the Executive Branch, which reportedly charges a $500,000 entrance fee.
The prospective GrabAGun board includes several high-profile gun industry figures: Colion Noir, a firearms influencer and former NRA commentator; Chris Cox, former NRA chief lobbyist; Blake Masters, a failed Republican Senate and congressional candidate; and Dusty Wunderlich, a fintech entrepreneur known for promoting “shoot now, pay later” financing for gun buyers.
courting wall street
Trump Jr. and Malik are pitching GrabAGun as the “Amazon” of the firearms industry, seeking investors by positioning the company as a tech-forward platform for purchasing guns, ammunition, and accessories.
Last week, Trump Jr. and Malik hosted events in New York City in an effort to attract investors, reportedly meeting with around 100 hedge fund managers and institutional investors. Prior to the fundraising events, GrabAGun filed an updated version of the company’s investor presentation, emphasizing a tech-focused approach and that “traditional firearms retailers fail to attract younger buyers.”
In a recent appearance on CNBC’s investment program Squawk Box, Trump Jr. reinforced that message by claiming younger consumers will be able to use the retailer to “shop the way they shop for virtually everything.”1CNBC, “1789 Capital’s Donald Trump Jr. and Omeed Malik on GrabAGun SPAC deal,” YouTube, June 3, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6PWB7tdnrE&ab_channel=CNBCTelevision, at 1:38. Trump Jr. also claimed that GrabAGun will fill the void left by large retailers that have opted out of the firearms business by offering a more accessible online shopping experience.2Ibid, at 2:38.
the “amazon of guns”?
To differentiate the company from other online firearm retailers and lean into its efforts to appeal to younger consumers, GrabAGun also announced plans to integrate AI technology into the company’s website on May 30. With this integration, the company intends to offer customizable shopping experiences and targeted recommendations, similar to major e-commerce platforms like Amazon. At a forum in Qatar in May, Malik claimed that GrabAGun will allow consumers to “buy guns and ammunition online just like you can on Amazon because we have a Second Amendment right.”
As Trump Jr. and Malik court Wall Street with the promise of turning GrabAGun into the “Amazon of guns,” their strategy reflects a troubling development: the merging of Silicon Valley tactics with the gun industry’s drive for profit. By repackaging firearms sales as just another convenience-driven e-commerce experience — complete with AI-driven personalization and youth-oriented marketing — the company is not just normalizing but accelerating access to deadly weapons. In their bid to win over investors, Trump and Malik are leaning into a business model that prioritizes scale, speed, and accessibility — which may appeal to shareholders, but raises serious concerns for communities already grappling with gun violence.