After mass shootings, Trump suggests linking gun background-check legislation with immigration reform

(Image credit: Nicholas Kamm / Getty Images)

last updated 5 August 2019

President Trump on Monday morning called for "strong background checks" while suggesting this legislation be tied with immigration reform in the wake of two deadly mass shootings that left nearly 30 people dead.

Trump on Monday wrote that "we cannot let those killed in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, die in vain" and that "Republicans and Democrats must come together and get strong background checks." He added that "perhaps" this legislation could be tied with "desperately needed immigration reform."

Trump previously expressed support for changes to background checks for gun purchases after the February 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. The House of Representatives has already passed background-check legislation this year that hasn't been brought up for a vote in the Senate. In the wake of the mass shootings in Dayton and El Paso, Democrats called for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to reconvene the Senate in order to pass the House's legislation.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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