Trump May Be Breaking With GOP, NRA on Gun Control

He wants to talk about keeping people on terror watch lists from buying guns
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 15, 2016 6:18 PM CDT
Trump May Be Breaking With GOP, NRA on Gun Control
Donald Trump pumps his fist after speaking at a rally Wednesday in Atlanta.   (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Someone check Hell for ice cubes because it appears Donald Trump has broken with the GOP to side with Hillary Clinton and the Democrats. The Atlantic reports Trump is seeking to meet with the NRA about keeping people on terror watch lists from buying guns. “If Con Man Don can convince the NRA to move forward on this, God bless him,” one Democratic lawmaker from New York says. And while the situation shows Trump's willingness to break with the larger GOP, it also—as NPR argues—shows Trump lacks a deeper understanding of many issues. While Democrats want a ban on gun purchases for anyone on terror watch lists, the NRA and most Republicans only want 72-hour delay on such purchases. It's unclear Trump understands the distinction.

The anti-NRA position isn't a new one for Trump, who was endorsed by the NRA last month, CBS News reports. He called for a ban on gun purchases by people on terror watch lists back in December. In 2012, he praised President Obama's call for stricter gun laws. In a 2000 book, he backed both a ban on assault weapons and tougher waiting periods. He's walked back many of those statements, but his earlier positions put him in line with the majority of Americans. A poll after the massacre in Orlando found more than half of Americans support stricter gun laws and a ban on assault weapons. Nearly 90% support universal background checks. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers are filibustering the Senate for gun control. (More Donald Trump stories.)

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