Could Trump Be The President That Enacts Stricter Gun Control?
“He has floated a lot of different proposals, some of which are pretty surprising to hear a Republican president make.”
Amid an extraordinary national conversation about gun violence and mass shootings this week, President Donald Trump made some bold statements about a potential way forward. He called for eliminating bump stocks, expanding background checks, and raising the minimum age to buy high-powered rifles, all of which fly in the face of the wishes of the National Rifle Association.
But Trump says the NRA will come to see it his way as well, and he also floated proposals that make the NRA happy. Putting armed teachers and concealed carry permits in schools and possibly restricting use or availability of violent video games and movies.
That the Republican president is diving headfirst into the sticky wicket of the gun debate at all is notable. But will he find any momentum in the NRA-funded offices of Republican leaders in Congress?
I will be strongly pushing Comprehensive Background Checks with an emphasis on Mental Health. Raise age to 21 and end sale of Bump Stocks! Congress is in a mood to finally do something on this issue – I hope!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018
Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson speaks with Alex Yablon, reporter with The Trace, an independent, non-profit investigative journalism outfit that exclusively covers guns and gun violence. He says Trump’s apparent backing of raising the minimum age to legally buy a gun to 21 is a “serious break” from the NRA.
“[Trump] has floated a lot of different proposals, some of which are pretty surprising to hear a Republican president make,” says Yablon. “But the proposal he’s most adamant about is arming teachers.”
Click on the audio player above to hear the full conversation.
