This page provides an official statement from T.REX ARMS regarding Lucas Botkin’s resignation from T.REX ARMS and related public statements he has made. The statement below is intended to address common questions about T.REX ARMS’ history and actions.
History of Public Statements
Lucas Botkin resigned from T.REX ARMS on May 28, 2025. That same day, the company asked Lucas, through counsel as he requested, to coordinate public statements. Two days later, Lucas presented his claims to a gathering of company employees in his home, and the following day he issued his first public statement.1 With Lucas beginning to take his claims to the public and no response to our request for coordination, the company issued a brief video statement announcing Lucas’ departure. A few days later, Lucas released a video describing his reasons for leaving, which involved relationships within his family, especially with his brothers David Botkin and Isaac Botkin, who are also minority owners of the company.2
We believe family matters are best addressed privately, and we sincerely hope for reconciliation in the family. However, because Lucas is a well-known voice in the firearm industry, and his statements have prompted much discussion online, we want to clarify the company-related facts.
T.REX ARMS Ownership and Lucas Botkin’s Role
Regarding ownership share in the company: Lucas willingly formed a partnership with David Botkin and David Noor in order to secure their commitment in growing the company from a one-man garage operation into a serious business. Lucas retained the largest share, but no one had a majority. The company grew rapidly in the following years as political events gave a tailwind to Lucas’ talent for viewer engagement and social media marketing, David Botkin’s business and finance leadership, and David Noor’s operational execution. Prior to David Botkin and David Noor joining Lucas, sales averaged less than 1 holster per day. Within a year of forming the partnership sales grew to 30 holsters a day and Isaac Botkin was brought in to begin standing up automation. The facts of the early years, including a photocopy of the original partnership agreement, can be found in timeline form here.
Kara Botkin’s Job Application at T.REX ARMS
Regarding Lucas’ wife’s desire to work at T.REX: There has been only one instance of an owner’s wife being employed at T.REX. After the company lost its bookkeeper, David Botkin’s wife provided temporary, part-time bookkeeping help, which tapered off into occasional backup assistance. During that time, Lucas’ wife, Kara, submitted a proposal for a part-time role encompassing COO responsibilities plus some analyst responsibilities. Although no such position was open in the company, out of respect for Lucas the proposal was discussed at a Board meeting and referred to non-family management for follow-up.
Lucas Botkin’s Resignation from T.REX ARMS
Finally, regarding Lucas’ decision to resign: Lucas had begun taking Fridays off in late 2024 to work on starting his new businesses, and had been actively negotiating a buy/sell with his co-owners David, Isaac, and David, starting in February 2025. In March, Lucas reported that a junior team member related to a non-owner executive had sent a sexually inappropriate web comic to his wife via text message. The company promptly investigated and disciplined the offender with unpaid suspension and 18 months’ probation. This was a challenging situation, and the company shared additional context in our second video. Later legal review found that the company’s actions were reasonable and appropriate to the facts of the incident. Negotiations toward a buy/sell continued through May. At the end of May, David, Isaac, and David sent an email to Lucas suggesting 5 options for moving forward, including crafting a better position for Lucas in the company, finding a 3rd-party buyer for his shares, or letting him keep his shares while going to work on his other companies. The next morning, Lucas handed in his letter of resignation.
Conclusion
In short, the public narrative created by Lucas’s statements is a gross misrepresentation of the facts of the company’s history and actions.
We are grateful for Lucas. Without him, T.REX would not have begun. And without his vision and marketing throughout the early years of the company, we would not have grown so quickly. We wish him well. And, as he pursues his new endeavors, our great desire is for healing within the Botkin family.
T.REX Public Statements on Lucas Botkin’s Resignation
A Message From T.REX ARMS About Lucas Botkin – June 2, 2025
Why We’ve Been Quiet And The Future of T.REX ARMS – June 27, 2025
Timeline of T.REX ARMS’ Company History – June 27, 2025
Footnotes
1 – In part, the statement read, “This decision was not made lightly but was required in order to maintain my values and take care of my family. I will share more details in the coming months.”