In a nationally-televised interaction with lawmakers on the thorny issue of gun control, President Donald Trump on Wednesday stunned both Republicans and Democrats with his push for a set of strong measurers that clearly did not go down with well one of his strongest support groups – the gun lobby, led by the National Rifle Association (NRA).
An ardent champion of gun rights whose utterances on the subject have been music to the ears of his conservative base, Trump attempted to veer a little bit against the backdrop of the recent Florida school massacre, making the case for raising the minimum age to buy guns, putting in place stringent background checks and taking away firearms from those with mental health issues.
Trump urged the lawmakers to put together and approve a comprehensive package that, among other things, raises the minimum age to purchase any type of gun from 18 to 21. Right now, one can’t buy a handgun at 18, 19 or 20, but one can, at age 18, buy the powerful AR-15 rifle that was used in the Florida school shooting, Trump pointed out as he urged the lawmakers to plug the loopholes.
But Republican lawmakers appeared lukewarm to the idea of raising the age, prompting Trump to take potshots at one of them, Senator Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania, remarking that he appeared to be “afraid of the NRA”. At one point, Trump commented: “Some of your people (lawmakers) are petrified of the NRA. You can’t be petrified.”
The NRA itself was not clearly irked by Trump’s push. In a strongly-worded statement, criticizing Trump perhaps for the first time, the NRA commented: “While today’s meeting made for great TV, the gun-control proposals discussed would make for bad policy that would not keep our children safe.”
“Instead of punishing law-abiding gun owners for the acts of a deranged lunatic, our leaders should pass meaningful reforms that would actually prevent future tragedies,” said a statement from the NRA. That has traditionally been the Republican position as well in line with the party’s strong commitment to the Second Amendment on the right of the people to keep and bear arms.
After an hour-long meeting of lively exchanges, Trump tweeted: “It was an honor to welcome bipartisan members of Congress for a discussion on SAFE schools and SAFE communities. As we continue to mourn the loss of so many precious young lives in Parkland, we are determined to turn our grief into action.”
“We now have to do something. We have to act. We can’t wait and play games and nothing gets done,” Trump told the lawmakers in a clear reference to Congress’ series of failed attempts in the past to enact meaningful gun control measures. “We’re here in a bipartisan fashion to show leadership in an effort to end the senseless violence. It could be ended, and it will be ended.”
Trump renewed his controversial suggestion about training a section of teachers and other school personnel to use firearms in the event of a mass shooting. “We must harden our schools against attack. These include allowing people with a certified training, very talented people, to carry firearms. Now, some people are going to disagree with that, and I understand that,” he said.