President Donald Trump has a habit for stunning lawmakers on both sides of the aisle any given day with positions on policy that often veer wildly in one direction or another. He certainly doesn’t go by any single playbook. This time, though, he seems to have crossed a line that the NRA, GOP, and most Second Amendment supporters aren’t going to be too happy with.
Following the wake of the Parkland school shooting, Trump and lawmakers throughout DC have been under an enormous amount of pressure to do something, regardless of whether or not that something would actually prevent gun violence in any significant way.
Most GOP Presidents would have sat this one out, waiting on the outrage to blow over before they made any significant moves. Never one to sit on the sidelines, though, Trump shocked Republicans on live television last week by seeming to suggest that he was willing to work with Democrats on their gun control agenda.
Trump expressed that he intended to at least entertain the ideas of expanding background checks, limiting access to firearms to people deemed mentally ill, raising the age to purchase a rifle from 18 to 21, and even banning so-called “assault weapons”. It’s these last two points that are the most dramatic gun control legislation that Trump is apparently considering and the ones that gun owners across America are going to have the hardest time stomaching.
In addition to entertaining these policies, Trump has also suggested that law enforcement ought to have more rights to take away firearms from individuals that they deem to be a threat, saying, “I like taking the guns early. Take the guns first, go through due process second.”
There seems to be a lot of facts that Trump is ignoring in this shift in policy. Starting with raising the age to buy a rifle to 21, there’s the fact that there has been only one mass shooting since 2009 – the Parkland shooting – that was committed by an individual between 18-20 years old who purchased their rifle legally. When you compare that to the total mass shootings in that time period – which is 156 – it becomes clear that raising the age limit for purchasing a rifle to 21 would do little except strip away the rights of countless 18-21 year old law-abiding citizens.
Of course, the ideas of an “assault weapons” ban and allowing the police to confiscate firearms without due process aren’t much better. The assault weapons ban that President Clinton put in place didn’t even put a dent in violent crime. In fact, it didn’t stop the Columbine High School massacre in which 12 students and 1 teacher were murdered. And the idea that the police would have the power to strip people of their Second Amendment rights without due process is frightening, to say the least.
To Trump’s credit, he did seem to walk back from some of these points after speaking with representatives from the NRA. Executive director of the NRA, Chris Cox, said after his meeting with Trump that the President and the Vice President “support the Second Amendment, support strong due process, and don’t want gun control.”
President Trump has a habit of making strong statements to whatever group is listening, only to walk back those statements later, so it is yet to be seen if he will follow through on any of the suggestions. It seems unlikely that he will when you consider the politics of enacting legislation such as an assault weapons ban. Democrats are unlikely to support Trump no matter what he does (even in this instance), and taking a strong stance on gun control would certainly alienate a large portion of Trump’s conservative base. If the President wants to have any chance of winning in 2020, going against his allies to placate a group that will always oppose him is not the way to do it.
Nevertheless, it’s startling to see Trump being even remotely open to futile ideas such as raising the minimum age to buy a rifle and enacting an assault weapons ban. Supporters of the Second Amendment should certainly keep an eye on what the President does in the coming months in the off chance that his suggestions were more than just empty words meant to placate a Democratic crowd.
~ American Gun News
Trump has foot in mouth disease on this one, find a way out fool!
no vote ordefense of trump in the future—he’ just another rinO -I think I’ll switch to the democratic side of things-since republicans say one thing an do another–untrustworthy at the very least.now I think impeachment is what that pos needs.
I will not be voting Trump in 2020
Great! Let the Demorat candidate win and watch ho quickly the 2nd Amendment goes. Won’t take long, and the rest of the Bill of Rights will soon follow.
No one is going to change any part of the 2nd Amendment.
You can have all the guns you want
We just want a ban on ALL AUTOMATIC & SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS
I’m a Viet Nam veteran and I’ve seen 1st hand what an automatic weapon will do to a human body, and we don’t need that kind of weapon in our country
And a ban like that would mean practically every gun would be banned, DUH,leaving us with only revolvers. You need to think or is that asking too much of you?
It is obviously asking too much.
Joel ,YOU hit on the key problem . THE GUN HATERS want ALL GUNS BANNED. They will not say the word ALL, but their actions speak for them.
Yes, we do.
And oh, automatic guns /rifles already outlawed and can only be obtained under special circumstances. Furthermore, no automatic weapon has been used in a mass shooting SO STOP TWISTING FACTS IN ORDER TO TAKE PEOPLE’S GUNS. I doubt you served anywhere is you don’t know the truth.
Dream on! The ultimate goal of the Demorat Party is TOTAL disarmament of the private citizen. Time after time they have pushed for this gun control law and that gun control law. When those laws don’t result in the promises made the answer is always the same,”We didn’t go far enough, we need to outlaw this”, and the cycle continues until that goal is reached. Anyone that doesn’t get that deserves to loose their liberties, and will.
citizens with no protection would result in our inept govt taking over look at hitlers third reich– beautiful history who will be annihilated this time?why don’t we have armed security for all schools–answer money- the fat cats in dc wouldn’t get their cut!if all guns are seized- only criminals will have guns look at prohibition—criminals got rich off alcohol-so did some of the most respected families in the US today look told Joe kennedyWhat cha thing if guns are banned—they are to easily manufactured so the lowlife will find a way to procure them and use them against us unarmed righteous citizens–go figure–
Joel Rosenberg,
You state, and I quote:
“No one is going to change any part of the 2nd Amendment.
You can have all the guns you want
We just want a ban on ALL AUTOMATIC & SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS
I’m a Viet Nam veteran and I’ve seen 1st hand what an automatic weapon will do to a human body, and we don’t need that kind of weapon in our country”
As a *genuine,* multiple voluntary tour, Special Forces ‘Nam Veteran myself, albeit with intelligence and an education:
►1. Your proposed “…ban on ALL AUTOMATIC & SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS” is an infringement on an assured and guaranteed, pre-existing right specified in the Second Amendment to our Constitution of the United States of America, a document you seem to have forgotten to which you have an unrescinded and unrescindable oath to support and uphold.
►2. Your proposed “…ban on ALL AUTOMATIC & SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS” means that no one “…can have all the guns [they] want (sic),” as the firearms most popular are semi-automatic firearms, and the firearms I would purchase in the future would likely be semi-automatic, absent your proposed ban. The ill-considered ban you propose, would restrict myself and others from purchasing anything but revolvers, while criminals would still have semi-automatic firearms, greatly outclassing the limited firepower available to law-abiding, responsible, skilled Americans.
►3. Your proposed “…ban on ALL AUTOMATIC … WEAPONS” is redundant, as there has effectively been such a ban since 1934. With 20,000+ – 40,000+ (depending on how they are counted) “gun control” laws already on the books, your proposal makes as much sense as copying existing laws verbatim and bragging that you’ve “done something” by getting identical 40,000+ – 80,000+ “gun control” laws on the books.
►4. Your “We just want a ban…,” is inaccurate, as “We the People” *don’t* want such a ban, being far more educated, intelligent, thoughtful, and considered than your statement would have us believe of you.
►5. Your statement that “…we don’t need that kind of weapon in our country (sic),” presumes that you, as a very much less than qualified individual, have the prescience to fathom what my individual needs are, in addition to the other 120,000,000 (one hundred twenty million) lawful, law-abiding owners in possession of firearms. I submit that you have no such superpowers; feel free to prove me wrong. (Good luck with that!)
►6. Your proposal would most certainly fly in the face of your statement that, “No one is going to change any part of the 2nd Amendment,” as that is exactly what it would do. Your proposal would require an exceptional contortion of logic for it not to require a tortured reversal of the right thus guaranteed.
►7. Effectively taking previously lawful, popular, and common firearms from law-abiding Americans makes as much sense as castrating yourself because your neighbor’s children are too rambunctious for your liking (though you castrating yourself would have the excellent effect of not propagating the apparent genetic disorder from which your uninformed illogic springs).
Just for your information, the same number of shots in the same caliber, shot from either a semi-automatic *or* fully automatic firearm will have *exactly* the same effect, so your statement that you have “…seen 1st hand what an automatic weapon will do to a human body” is suggestive of:
a. Not having had the opportunity to see the effects of either, let alone comparatively, and/or
b. Not having had the opportunity to serve in the US Armed Forces overseas and in a combat zone.
If they start regulating what kind of weapons we have then we need to start voting differently. It is not our fault that there are children who steal their parents weapons and goes to school. These children does not know the vast pain in the world they leave for their parents to live with and that is where the blame should go. It should go to the parents for not teaching their children the golden rule first of all “thou shall not kill” and they should be taught if there is a gun in the house gun safety. If the kids go to school and kills people the parents should pick up the bill. We should not be punished for poorly raised children. Somebody had to know this would happen and guns do not kill anybody; people kills people. The right people should pay for the assults with a gun if they own one. That is part of being a gun owner.
Whether or not I vote for Trump in 2020 will depend on how far down the RAT HOLE he follows the LIBERALS and DEMORATS on GUN CONTROL if he comes to his senses he will get my vote If he takes away any part of my 2nd amendment rights HE LOSES MY VOTE it is as simple as that.
Problem is, if Trump loses to any Demorat in 2020 the 2nd Amendment will soon be history. Guaranteed!
BY ICE, MANY MILLIONS are of that very same persuasion
Whether or not I vote for Trump in 2020 will depend on how far down the RAT HOLE he follows the LIBERALS and DEMORATS on GUN CONTROL if he comes to his senses he will get my vote If he takes away any part of my 2nd amendment rights HE LOSES MY VOTE it is as simple as that.
This will be a big mistake for Trump.
Obama’s Promise Program caused 17 children to be murdered in Parkland, Florida. Is Obama criminally responsible for it?
Obama’s Promise Program lowered Parkland Juvenal arrest numbers from 3000 to 600. Then is lowered the children disciplined and expelled, it lowered treatment of problem children; it lowered children arrested. So when one murders 17 kids. The police did nothing because they were part of the program.
Judicial Watch Senior Investigator Bill Marshall
This is the only one real Solution… And it will stop all the stupid talk.
How many years have we been passed gun laws and has it ever stopped these attacks! Will passing another law stop these attacks? No.
America needs a National Law putting highly trained, experienced Armed Guards at every America School to protect our children. They must be able to give a feeling of security to our children by treating them with respect. This should be inspected twice a year. Homeland Security, National Guards, US Marshalls and private companies can do it.
How many attacks at Israeli schools? ZERO! We have armed guards.
This positive step could ready to put in place in two or three months.
It is vital you spread the word to protect our Children
This action would be illegal and violates due process. It would not stand a constitutional challenge.
Trump pisses,me off with his flip flopping and going back on his promises. He can’t be trusted as he speaks out of both sides of his mouth. His ass must be jealous of his mouth because of all the shit that comes out of it.
Then you would have been very pissed off with Hillary, she said she would load the Supreme court with people that shared her views on the second amendment.
Bull shit, complete background check first before you take any weapon. If you cave on this than good-by and others will follow.
BACKGROUND CHECKS — That is the battle cry we hear from many . There are NOW more than 22,000 gun laws on the books . A LAW is not the END ALL– BE ALL answer.—– PROOF___ In a recent year 77,000 applicants LIED on their form 4473 to attempt a purchase of a firearm. ( THAT IS A FELONY). The FFL dealers reported them to DOJ as required. DOJ referred 4407 of them to BATF for charges. — OF all these ,BATF
PROSECUTED — only 44. . — WHEN questioned about this MINISCULE number of prosecutions ,they responded, “WE do not have adequate funding for that, and too, the juries have shown they have little interest in trying these cases.
SO MUCH FOR ENFORCEMENT !!!!!
I do not support Trump on this. It makes no sense to trash the 4th Amendment along with the 2nd. However, given the alternative of a leftist Demorat in the White House, there really is no choice. Had Hillary won it would not be long before the 2nd Amendment would be nothing but a faint memory, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights. Maybe not right at first, but with her appointments to the courts it would be only a matter of time before the 2nd Amendment was ruled null and void. Make no mistake, the Demorat Party has a vested interest in destroying the entire Constitution, starting with the 2nd Amendment. Once the 2nd Amendment is either legislated or adjudicated away the remaining supposedly Constitutionally protected liberties are sure to follow. It is only a matter of time.
One step toward removing ANY firearm would be just the beginning for eventual removal of ALL firearms. I have no problem with denying
the purchase of a gun to illegals, criminals, mentally disturbed, etc but am very disappointed in the President’s position as regards the 2nd
amendment.
I’m telling you if President Trump goes against the 2A in anyway he’ll lose and lose big in 2020 God forbid he has any plans on playing around with our rights I think he’s been a great President until this he promised us he wouldn’t bargain with our 2A rights he better only be bluffing.
I understand that if this kid in Florida had his guns taken away it may have helped, Or would he have just stolen one. The only thing that would have worked is to have taken the kid off the street, He really needed a rubber room for some time.
My fear with a law like this is when Liberals get back in it will be abused, Liberal’s will say no one if fit to own a gun. are you a Christian,(can’t have a gun), do you vote conservative, (Can’t have a gun), Do you believe in the constitution, (Can’t have a gun), do you believe in a family with a mother and father, (Can’t have a gun).
NO GUN CONTROL.
NO GUN CONTROL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I guess the Constitution is meaningless in Washington DC. My oath to the Constitution doesn’t have an expiration date, therefore I will meet my obligation regardless of who is in office.
Bruce – I am among the millions like you who have taken that same unrescinded and unrescindable oath, and the overwhelming majority of us will meet that same obligation, should it become necessary.
De Oppresso Liber
I am a NRA member for over 55 years. As an ENDOWMENT LIFE MEMBER, I have enrolled mANY DOZENS OF NEW MEMBERS, Latest figures show NRA members at 5 MILLION with more joining EVERY day. These reports say that EACH member has notable influence on 9 other voters.iF that is true, there are “FIFTY MILLION VOTERS who will STRONGLY SUPPORT the 2nd AMENDMENT.
This is a determined group who will follow closely the actions of congress, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP. as the CONSTITUTIONAL questions of LEGAL,LAW ABIDING gun ownership and use are addresses.
Gene Hollon – A recent report noted that over 500,000 new members had joined the National Rifle Association (NRA) of America in the weeks following the Parkland, Florida (FL) incident. We (I am a Benefactor Life Member of our Association, and have given Life Memberships to others.) now influence 9 x 500,00 more voters than the previous number of 5,000,000 members did, bringing our combined influence to 59,500,000 voters. President Donald John “The Donald” Trump would be well advised to listen to such a voting block, as it’s close to the number of voters who voted for him in the first place, and certainly swells the number of active, potentially pro-Trump voters (or anti-Trump voters, for that matter!).
Cogito, ergo armatus sum.
I didn’t vote FOR Trump, I voted AGAINST Hillary.
The arrogance of wealth wreaks from every pore of his
being. No, I do not support Trump and my loyalty will
be tested in the future.
His comment concerning due process surprised me a little. It would appear that he has no understanding of the Constitution. As with all rich people, they seem to feel the law does not apply to them.
THOMAS, I read one explanation as to TRUMP’S , take the guns first ETC.
He does sometimes speak in short ,direct, no explanation , statements. In this case, later, I read that first , a relative in the home, or an employer must” request” a NO PURCHASE order, AND CONFISCATION of any guns currently owned. Then an”order” by a JUDGE would be used to REMOVE THE APPARENT RISK AND THREAT.
I too hope this is the adopted procedure. OTHERWISE, Trump’s blatant statement would KILL ANY FUTURE ELECTION PLANS.
What happened to the President we elected?? You said you are a NRA member and stand with them. WE the PEOPLE stood by your side and got you into the White House as our PRESIDENT. You said you believe in the 2nd Amendment and the list goes on. WE the PEOPLE believed in you but NOT the person you are becoming. You said you stand with the Constitution, WELL do YOU?? You also said that these ILLEGALS/DREAMERS must go as there is NO law protecting them and you know OBAMA did this to try to ruin our country just like Obamacare. He is a MUSLIM and he only cares about ruining our country.
WE want YOU to make our COUNTRY GREAT AGAIN but do not want you to go against what you said while running for President. Stand by the 2nd Amendment etc and like what is above. WE the PEOPLE will make sure you win in 2020 as well. Do we have a deal??
If he (TRUMP) weak-ins gun-rights he loses my support. Their are other ways to stop shootings in buildings using existing technology. Think outside the Box. Gunfire Senors, Computers, Gun Barrel Heat Senors, Attack Drones. WiFi. Write Smart Programs to identify Location of Gunfire & Attack Gunfire Source.
F.C> I totally agree with you. YOU are on target. See my post above regarding an explanation on TRUMP’S upsetting statement and the 4th amendment.
When are people going to learn; Guns don’t kill people,……..”PEOPLE DO”!!! When all the guns are gone,……………..Then what!!! Surely people are not that, STUPID and GULLABLE ??? All the other Countries who have had gun control regret it now! Only criminals and police will have them, and the crime rate will go up 40%, to say the least. Other countries have had genocide! “Who will profit the most from gun control???” Certainly not the “citizens”! They will be taken Advantage of, Mistreated, and ABUSED and maybe even killed!!! There’s nothing they can do about it!!!>>>>>> Have you not learned from History??? In NO CASE has the People Gained from it!!! There is only 1 reason any Country would want GUN CONTROL and that is to “have full control of its citizens, whit out reprisal!!! If you think that gun control will help; you are in for a big surprise!!! And then there won’t be anything you can do about it!!! That’s a very stupid choice to make. The second amendment rights are the one thing that sets us apart from the rest of the world and what made this country Great!!!
I don’t believe that banning guns will have any effect on people getting guns.It will successfully open the black market to make matters worse.
well that’s just great here we go
DO NOT LET THE ELITES TAKE CONTROL OF THE 2ND AMENDEMENT. STICK TO YOUR GUNS WITH THE PROMISES YOU MADE TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY FREE.
WEED OUT AND PROSECUTE THE GUILTY PERSON, DO NOT PUNISH THE LAW ABIDING CITIZENS WITH STUPID LAWS THAT THE LIBERAL SOCIALIST CRYBABY DEMO-RATS WANT SO THEY CAN HAVE THEIR SLAVES AND ALL THE MONEY TOO.
So a assault weapons ban would mean the military’s M4 and m16s would all be confiscated and destroyed. Civilians would be able to keep their AR15. They just disarmed our military..
There’s nothing more UN-American than disarming Americans!!! ………………………………………….. A free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government”
— Thomas Jefferson When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.
Thomas Jefferson
Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans and must be that of every free state. Thomas Jefferson
The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that… it is their right and duty to be at all times armed. Thomas Jefferson
Donald, we a long time ago in the mid-80s did work for you and it was great, hey buddy now you are f–king up
You want the Demorats to destroy us ????????????????
I HOPE YOU READ THIS.
THE 85-YEAR-OLD KOREAN COMBAT WAR VET.
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor; They didn’t attack the mainland because (I quote “There will be a gun behind every blade of grass” and rightfully said. They knew that everyone in the country was armed, and right they were. That is why America is the Greatest country in the world!!!
Fake News.
No offense, but Trump..excuse me, Mr. President Trump ,Sir was the lesser of two evils, so I would still have voted for him. He was/is first and foremost a businessman.
Soo, what is good for business?
Happy customers, right. More importantly, new/more customers.
I am not aware that he fits, or is into gun culture, so he could actually /probably give a sh*t less other than votes or what makes himself look good.
As typical with the rich and powerful, I believe him to be arrogant and unhesitant to discard/step on those that helped them rise if it boosts their status/fortune/superficial self image.
I guess that no one in Washington understands the meaning of infringe, i.e.
” to encroach upon in a way that violates law or the rights of another ”
The way I see it , all the laws that have been passed violate the 2nd Amendment!
THE ACTIONS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS STATEMENTS LEAD ME TO BELIEVE ANY POLITICIAN ! IN FACT I MAY NEVER VOTE AGAIN !! I REALLY PUT ALL MY TRUST IN PRES. TRUMP
If we are made to give up my guns does that mean All cop and military an trump body guards must give up their gun! Hell no it will become a Communist country! save our rights to be safe!
Mολὼν λαβ! – King Leonidas of Sparta, at Thermopylæ in 480BC, to King Xerxes of the Persian Empire. Oh, and good luck, as there are many more millions of those of us who oppose having our rights, as Americans, summarily taken as if we were but mere British colonists. (Remember how that ended the last time the King of England tried disarming Americans? Are you sure, President Donald John “The Donald” Trump, that you want to make the same mistake and suffer an even more humiliating defeat?)
You people that are talking about not voting for Trump must be crazy, because in 2016, the only alternative was Hillary and if you would prefer someone like her, then there’s not much hope for you, or America. Hillary is a lier, a suspected criminal and a suspected killer (four Americans in Bengazi and there are 75 unexplained deaths of people that either said something bad about the Clintons, or they stood in their way including the Kennedy that was killed in a small aircraft over the north eastern coastline, because she thought that he might get the Secretary of position that she wanted) and plus the Democrats are really turning into communistic ways, like I said if you think she would be a better choice to run our country your crazy.
I can tell you for sure of one thing : if Trump makes any move on our second amendment rights and I mean (ANY ATTACK AT ALL ) I will never vote for him again,(and certainly,not in,2020) so President Trump you better (LISTEN) to the people,(that PUT YOU,THERE IF YOU WANT TO STAY THERE) !!!!!!!!!!!
I always want to know motive for any change.In the first place the second amendment is untouchable in a christian country such as the United States.It is a GOD given and unalienable right.Which means for ever.Our forefathers in great insight knew that at some point the government would get corrupted,enter Hillary,Bill,Barry and Soros and many of the billionaires and trillionaires of the world ,they never have enough.The motive is to have all the riches and control of the world.Plus it is coming out to cover their tracks about what they are about,which is human trafficking,drug trafficking,raping ,stealing,trying to weaken the country as a means to take it over.Many if not all of the demon rats and liberals have the morals of alley cats,they molest children and will do anything to cover their tracks.Look at the suicides ,over a hundred ,shot in the back of the head twice.There have recently been people admit that they were hired by Bill way back when he was governor,to take out people.Why are they not prosecuted,is there anyone that can give us justice? As to Trump caving to the gun grabbers ,maybe he has some trick up his sleeve,maybe they are using mind control on him coming from the occult,as hard as that is for me to believe,but I do know that going against the constitution that he swore to uphold is wrong.and if these evil people keep it up they are going to find out what these honest freedom loving people will do.
I did type a comment ,above.I would like it send in support of my first amendment rights. Thank you.