We may never know what the President heard. Perhaps it was internal polling that showed his base has no appetite for gun control. Maybe he read an article (we’ve posted about two dozen on gun control in the last month) or watched a video detailing how the bipartisan measures being proposed are both unconstitutional and ineffective. It could have been an adviser or someone close to him not named Ivanka who said gun control is a bad idea.
Whatever prompted the change of heart, the President indicated over the weekend that he has soured on universal background checks and now Democrats are up in arms attacking his apparent backtrack.
Democratic leaders assail Trump’s apparent reversal on background checks
Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi are lamenting President Donald Trump’s apparent about-face on enhanced backgrounds for firearm sales, with Schumer calling the move “not only disappointing but also heartbreaking.”
Trump told reporters this weekend he will look “very strongly” at ideas from both Democrats and Republicans but said to remember that “we already have a lot of background checks.” Those remarks followed Trump’s Aug. 7 claim that “we can bring up background checks like we’ve never had before.”
In the Senate minority leader’s view, Trump’s remarks amounted to backing away from burgeoning bipartisan talks on reviving and amending the background checks bill by Sens. Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey.
Following a string of three mass shootings in less than two weeks, many Republican lawmakers were joining their Democratic counterparts in calling for one or more of three primary legislative actions: universal background checks (which already passed the House), incentives for states to pass red flag gun laws, and a new “assault weapons” ban. The last one was always very unlikely. Universal background checks were seemingly a foregone conclusion until the President’s remarks over the weekend.
That leaves us red flag gun laws. Hopefully, the President will realize they are ineffective, risky to both law enforcement and gun owners (like Gary J. Willis), and most importantly they’re clearly unconstitutional. This draconian measure shouldn’t just be rebuked by the White House. It should be repealed in the 17 states that already have them in place.
Conservatives need to keep up the pressure and let the White House, GOP, and President Trump know we must focus on real solutions to violent criminals that do not include taking away law abiding citizens’ 2nd Amendment rights.
We are currently forming the American Conservative Movement. If you are interested in learning more, we will be sending out information in a few weeks.
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