U.S. Senate Independent candidate Todd Achilles has received an “F” grade from the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF).

That is significant because Achilles is currently running campaign ads designed to reassure Idaho gun owners that he is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment.

His message is essentially: “I’m a veteran, so of course I support the Second Amendment.”

But that argument doesn’t hold up.

As a veteran myself, I can tell you that military service does not automatically make someone a supporter of the Second Amendment. Veterans, like everyone else, hold a wide range of political views, including views on gun rights.

That is why gun owners need to look beyond a candidate’s campaign advertisements and examine their actual record.

And Achilles has a record that raises serious questions.

As we documented in our previous deep-dive on Todd Achilles’ gun record, he received the endorsement of Moms Demand Action in 2024 and voted against two important pro-Second Amendment measures while serving in the Idaho Legislature: SB 1275, which protected employers who allow employees to exercise lawful self-defense, and SB 1374, which expanded protections for Idahoans carrying firearms on public property.

His current campaign website now contains strong language about defending the Second Amendment. Achilles says he would oppose federal bans on firearms and magazines and oppose a federal gun registry.

But that is precisely why his NRA-PVF rating deserves attention.

The NRA-PVF says its ratings are based on candidates’ records and positions on Second Amendment issues. It defines an “F” as its lowest rating, reserved for candidates it considers consistently opposed to gun owners’ rights or candidates who actively lead or sponsor anti-gun legislation.

So Idaho gun owners should not simply take a candidate’s word for it when he says he supports the Second Amendment.

Look at the record. Look at the votes. Look at the organizations that have supported the candidate. And look at how the major Second Amendment organizations rate that candidate.

Todd Achilles can say he supports the Second Amendment. His campaign can run advertisements saying he supports the Second Amendment.

But Idaho gun owners have every reason to examine those claims against his actual record, and now, against his reported “F” rating from the NRA-PVF.

When it comes to your Second Amendment rights, don’t just listen to what a candidate says. Do your homework.