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A2 us news
Saturday 10 auguSt 2019
Trump says he wants background checks, also reassures NRA

By ZEKE MILLER and DEB he told a Kentucky radio
RIECHMANN station that Trump called
Associated Press him Thursday morning and
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- they talked about several
dent Donald Trump said ideas. The president, he
Friday he believes he has said, is “anxious to get an
influence to rally Republi- outcome and so am I.”
cans around stronger fed- “What we can’t do is fail to
eral background check pass something,” McCon-
laws as Congress and the nell said.
White House work on a re- Traveling with Trump to
sponse to last weekend’s New York, South Carolina
mass shootings in Texas Sen. Lindsey Graham said
and Ohio. he intended to discuss the
At the same time, Trump issue with the president
said he had assured the over the weekend. He said
National Rifle Association he’s in favor of a state-run
that its gun-rights views list system that would pro-
would be “fully represent- hibit certain people from
ed and respected.” He buying guns.
said he was hopeful the “I just think the space to do
NRA would not be an ob- nothing is gone,” he said.
stacle to strengthening the “And that’s a good thing.”
nation’s gun laws. McConnell said he and
Trump has promised to lead Trump discussed back-
on tougher gun control President Donald Trump talks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, Aug. 9, ground checks and “red
2019, in Washington, as he prepares to leave Washington for his annual August holiday at his New
measures before, includ- Jersey golf club. flag” laws. “Those are two
ing after the 2018 Parkland, Associated Press items that for sure will be
Florida, school shooting, litical capital Trump would support “red flag” laws that Chuck Schumer tweeted front and center as we
but little has come of it. His throw behind marshaling allow guns to be removed in response Friday that Mc- see what we can come
comments in the wake of Republicans on the issue. from those who may be a Connell must bring up the together on and pass,”
the twin massacres marked He said Friday he now is danger to themselves and House-passed legislation, McConnell told Louisville’s
his most optimistic and sup- looking for “very meaning- others. which Trump had previous- WHAS-AM.
portive words in favor of ful background checks” “I see a better feeling right ly threatened to veto. “To House Speaker Nancy
more stringent gun laws, but is not considering a now toward getting some- get anything meaningful Pelosi and Schumer said
though he left the details resurrection of an assault thing meaningful done,” done to address gun vio- Trump assured them in
vague and it remained to weapons ban. He said he Trump told reporters when lence, we need his com- phone calls Thursday he will
be seen how much po- also believes lawmakers will asked why the political mitment to hold a Senate review the House-passed
environment was different vote on the House-passed bill that would expand fed-
now. background checks legis- eral background checks
“I have a greater influence lation,” Schumer said. for firearm sales.
now over the Senate and As for the NRA, which has In a joint statement, they
the House,” he said at the contributed millions to help said Trump called them in-
White House. Trump and other Republi- dividually after Pelosi sent a
Democrats and others cans, the gun lobby’s chief letter asking the president
have been skeptical of executive, Wayne LaPierre, to order the Senate back
Trump’s commitment to said this week that some to Washington to consider
genuine gun control, judg- federal gun control propos- gun violence measures.
ing from past experience. als “would make millions of Schumer and Pelosi said
But he said he was behind law-abiding Americans less they told Trump the best im-
it. “The Republicans are safe and less able to de- mediate step would be for
going to be great and lead fend themselves and their the Senate to take up and
the charge along with the loved ones.” pass the House bill. Trump,
Democrats,” he declared, But Trump said he’d spoken they said, “understood our
saying he’d spoken with with LaPierre this week and interest in moving as quick-
Senate Majority Leader “I think in the end, Wayne ly as possible to help save
Mitch McConnell whom he and the NRA will either be lives.”
proclaimed to be “totally there or either be a little The politics of gun control
onboard.” more neutral.” are shifting amid the fre-
But McConnell, thus far, has “Frankly, I really think quency and toll of mass
only committed to a dis- they’re going to get there shootings. Spending to sup-
cussion of the issue. Repub- also,” he added. port candidates backing
licans have long opposed On Thursday, Senate Major- tougher gun control mea-
expanding background ity Leader McConnell said sures — mostly Democrats
checks — a bill passed by he now wants background — surged in the 2018 mid-
the Democratic-led House checks and other action, terms, even as campaign
is stalled in McConnell’s setting up a potentially spending by the NRA de-
Senate — but they face pivotal moment when law- clined.
new pressure after the makers return in the fall. The NRA says proposals be-
shootings in El Paso, Texas, The Republican leader ing discussed in Congress
and Dayton, Ohio, that left won’t be calling sena- would not have prevented
31 people dead. tors back to work early, as the shootings in Texas and
Senate Minority Leader some are demanding. But Ohio.q