President Trump stunned Democrats and Republicans alike Wednesday by pushing for gun control measures that have long been poison pills for the GOP and pipe dreams for their opponents.
The president, during a televised, hourlong sitdown at the White House with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, appeared to back a bill proposed in 2013 by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania that would expand background checks for weapons purchases.
The bill — written in response to the 2012 massacre at the Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Conn. — failed in the Senate due to intense Republican opposition.
But Trump called it a good starting point and even questioned whether other ideas championed by Democrats, such as an assault weapons ban and raising the minimum age to buy a gun to 21, could be included in one bill that everyone could agree on.
“Fellas, if you can all get together and we can get one great piece of legislation — people want to see something happen. It would be so beautiful to have one bill that everyone could support,” Trump said as Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California sat with a stunned smile on her face.
“I think it’s time that a president stepped up. I’m talking Democrat and Republican presidents, they’ve not stepped up,” Trump said.
Trump also shot down the GOP’s proposed Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would allow people with permits to carry guns across state lines.
“I just don’t think you’re going to get it approved. Amy and Dianne and a lot of other people — they’re never going to consider it,” he told House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), referring to Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Feinstein.
Trump was in the midst of saying that some lawmakers were “petrified” of the National Rifle Association — while insisting that it should be easy to get 100 votes in the Senate to pass gun safety laws, not just the filibuster-proof 60 needed to pass most legislation — when he was interrupted by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
“I think you underestimate the power of the gun lobby,” he said.
Trump, who got $30 million in campaign donations from the group, replied, “They have great power over you people; they have less . . . over me. Some of you people are petrified of the NRA. You can’t be petrified. [People] want to do what’s right.”
Murphy and Feinstein both urged the president to take tougher action on guns, including universal background checks, banning military-style assault rifles and raising the minimum age for gun buyers.
“I hope we follow the data. We have 20 times the rate [of mass shootings] of any country in the world,” Murphy said.
“Our schools aren’t less safe. We don’t spend less money on law enforcement. What is different is that we have the loosest, most lax gun laws.”
Trump said, “I like taking the guns early, like in this crazy man’s case that just took place in Florida. Take the guns first, go through due process second.”