GOP split as banks take on gun industry It's a conundrum that puts free-market principles at odds with gun rights, and Republicans across the board are genuinely split. By ZACHARY WARMBRODT 04/22/2018 07:10 AM EDT In March, Citigroup, which owns the holding company for Citibank, announced new limits on its retail clients' firearms sales. The bank argued that after cycles of "tragedy and inaction," it was taking steps to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Major banks are cutting off business with the gun industry, roiling Republicans who want to respect the financial decisions of private institutions while still showing their unyielding support of the Second Amendment. Some Republicans, enraged at moves by Citigroup and Bank of America to distance themselves from some retailers and gun manufacturers, have called on government agencies to cancel contracts with the banks and defer deregulation propos