The President held a bipartisan meeting of 17 lawmakers in the White House Wednesday and used some imprecise language. We are reasonably sure all will flesh out well in the end, but his statements raised eyebrows. It was free-wheeling and, at one point, Trump slammed the GOP senators saying, “some of you guys are petrified of the NRA.” He told them not to be, adding he is sure they will do the right thing, meaning the NRA.
“I think you’re afraid of the NRA,” Trump told Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, arguing that raising the age limit — something the National Rifle Association opposes — was “something we have to think about.”
Trump wants to raise the age of obtaining a rifle like the AR-15 to age 21, punishing a lot of innocent gun owners who hunt with their families, live in the wilds or need them on the farm.
Trump said he had lunch with NRA leaders on Sunday, adding that they “have great power” over Republicans but “less power over me.”
This could all change tomorrow.
One of the biggest problems arising from the gun control meeting was the President’s broad, sweeping statement about not wanting the mentally ill to have guns. There are many people with mental illnesses who can have guns.
“I don’t want mentally ill people to be having guns,” Trump said.
Anyone with an anxiety disorder, issues with paperwork, or taking any narcotic would lose their rights. The gun grabbers could ensnare tens of millions of people who don’t deserve to lose their rights.
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Hopefully, his statement about due process is not to be taken literally.
“I like taking the guns early,” Trump said, adding, “Take the guns first, go through due process second.” Governor Rick Scott is making the same statements. Both are ignoring the issue of due process.
If the President does this, it won’t directly address the crimes he seeks to stop. Criminals, crazy or not, will still get guns and the illegal gun trade will grow. At the same time, it feeds into the Democrat gun grabbers.
His statements took a lot of Republicans by surprise. The fact is people aren’t afraid of the NRA with its mere 5 million members, they are afraid of the public opinion. Most Americans want to keep their gun rights.
IT TOOK A LOT OF PEOPLE BY SURPRISE
.@TomBevanRCP on @POTUS‘ school safety meeting: “I think Republicans in the room and certainly Republicans around the country were a bit shocked to see and hear what the president was suggesting.” #SpecialReport https://t.co/QeoH3bw4IR pic.twitter.com/N9cIG4tAe4
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 28, 2018