Donald Trump stuns lawmakers with call for tighter gun control
President appears to break from Republican Party line by opposing NRA
Donald Trump has “stunned” lawmakers by telling congressional Republicans and Democrats in a live broadcast not to be so “petrified” of powerful gun lobby the National Rifle Association (NRA).
In what the BBC describes as “a break from his party’s stance on gun control”, the US president urged lawmakers to come up with a “strong” reform bill on firearms in the wake of the Florida school shooting that left 17 dead in February.
Trump made the remarks during an “extraordinary hour-long White House meeting on Wednesday”, The Guardian reports. Urging lawmakers to work together on bipartisan legislation, the president proposed the creation of a “beautiful” comprehensive bill that would expand background checks on gun purchases; remove guns from the hands of the mentally ill; bolster security on school campuses; and restrict young people from purchasing certain weapons.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He also warned lawmakers against proposing a bill that included a pro-concealed carry measure, giving gun owners permission to carry a firearm out of view in public places - a provision that Republicans and the NRA have aimed to include in any gun legislation.
The NRA has “great power over you people”, Trump said, but “less power over me”.
“Democrats walked away stunned and with some tepid optimism that something substantial could happen on guns,” CNN reports, “while Republicans appeared flummoxed.”
Following the meeting, conservatives and some Republican lawmakers turned on Trump, who was elected “with broad support from the gun lobby”, says The Guardian.
“Trump the Gun Grabber: Cedes Dems’ Wish List” was the headline on Breitbart News, the far-right news website that, under the editorship of Steve Bannon, helped Trump win the presidency in 2016.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why China's young people are rejecting marriage
In The Spotlight Changing attitudes and a slowing economy are contributing to a slump in weddings
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The huge cost of food waste
The Explainer 'Truly enraging' amount of food thrown away each year, says charity boss
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 7, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Judge reopens Trump challenge in secrets case
Speed Read Aileen Cannon continues to delay and complicate the classified documents case
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation court
Speed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why the New Mexico governor's gun ban backfired
Critics say the Constitution isn't the only reason to oppose a 30-day gun ban in the name of public health
By Harold Maass Published
-
E. Jean Carroll seeks further damages from Trump over CNN remarks
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
E. Jean Carroll may sue Trump over 'foul' CNN remarks
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Judge: Grand jurors in Georgia Trump probe must tread lightly, but can discuss final report
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
4 Oath Keepers found guilty of seditious conspiracy
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published