Whether the gun debate actually has the power to sway traditionally Democratic voters is another question. The issue has been debated for decades, and yet these white working-class Democrats have continued to stick with the party that takes a more restrictive view of gun rights. And the specific proposals advanced by President Obama and Mrs. Clinton might be more appealing to these voters than a debate over gun control in the abstract.
But no single issue needs to do all of the work for Mr. Trump, and gun rights probably do nudge his target voters in his direction.