Unexpected Revelations in Gun Control
BY Herschel Smith
1 year, 9 months ago
One of the several AR-15 hit pieces today was published by The Washington Post. It’s full of the usual blather (except for one interview I hope I get to conduct tomorrow), but this one revelation stood out to me.
Shortly after Parkland, President Donald Trump repeatedly floated the idea of supporting a new assault weapons ban.
He mentioned it on live television to one of the Senate’s most vocal gun-control backers, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and in a private meeting with Parkland families. His comments rattled NRA officials and some of his own advisers.
NRA representatives later warned Trump against taking action. “They came up here and said to him, the base is going to blow you up,” according to a former official who sat in during a series of meetings with the NRA. They, like others interviewed for this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private interactions.
But Trump kept coming back to the idea, according to several former administration officials.
In the summer of 2019, after back-to-back mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso involving an AR-15-style pistol and an AKM-style rifle, Trump told aides that he wanted to ban AR-15s, according to people present for the statements.
“I don’t know why anyone needs an AR-15,” Trump told aides as he flew on Marine One to the White House in August 2019, according to a person who heard his comments.
As one former official put it in describing the real estate developer turned politician, “His reflexes were a New York liberal on guns. He doesn’t have knee-jerk conservative reflexes.”
But Trump was also petrified of the NRA and others taking him on, former advisers said, and heard from a number of advisers that it would be unpopular. Trump ultimately stopped entertaining the idea of working with Democrats on gun control later that year, when he was caught in a scandal over his now-infamous phone call with Ukraine’s president.
“F— it, I’m not going to work with them on anything. They’re f—ing impeaching me,” Trump said in one Oval Office meeting, according to a participant.
There’s your gun rights president. Never forget he said that. And never forget he supported red flag laws (with “due process” coming after the fact), and the bump stock ban, what has turned out to be an awful precedent for the current ATF shenanigans and malfeasance literally making law over pistol braces.
Never forget these things.
On March 27, 2023 at 10:55 pm, Dan said:
Yes…Trump is not a great POTUS. But he’s still a damn sight better than anyone the Demonrats would put in office. Be honest. NEITHER side is going to allow anyone in that
has any chance at restoring our rights completely. Both sides want us in chains.
On March 28, 2023 at 12:03 am, Steve R said:
First, it’s WAPO.
“according to a person”.
“according to a participant”
“Trump told aides”
But here is the kicker:
“They, like others interviewed for this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private interactions.”
If it really happened, and the NRA rolled on Trump to the WAPO, he won’t remember the conversation AND who broke confidentiality?
My guess is this story is 100% contrived.
On March 28, 2023 at 12:12 am, Herschel Smith said:
Given his history on bump stocks and red flag laws, IDK.
On March 28, 2023 at 5:51 am, JB said:
Trumps own words
https://youtu.be/8bVT3TnBt2Q
On March 28, 2023 at 5:56 am, Wes said:
Frankly I don’t care whether the overall story seems contrived; sometimes contrivance can seem so simply based on the timing. However, it’s useful because there are pieces that are provably true and, thus, it serves as a fine reminder. The bump stock kluge is on record. One (not the only) source for his comment of “Take the guns first. Do due-process later” was his son-in-law all-hail Jared Kushner. So it is not an unreasonable step to surmise of someone, so badly in need of a Civics-101 lesson, that they react like a NY liberal on this subject.
Trump has a history of running his mouth instinctively, and then changing depending on the political winds. He raked red-state governors over the coals about opening up too quickly during the scamdemic until it was shown that they were doing better things economically. Then he was congratulating them for taking HIS idea.
On March 28, 2023 at 8:44 am, Don't mind me. said:
The real issue with Trump should be his support for the injections that have killed (officially) tens of thousands of people.
His “warp speed death shots” should have resulted in him and many others being arrested for murder, attempted murder and a bunch of other crimes against humanity.
And if you think voting still works, you’re beyond help.
On March 28, 2023 at 9:45 am, george 1 said:
Whatever the veracity of the WAPO concerning this article with regard to Trump, it is a known and verified fact that Trump was in the midst of setting up a “grand bargain” with congress concerning gun rights issues. His stupid little daughter and Lindsey Graham were the point people for that. The main thing that stopped the deal was that the democrats started their impeachment process. Trump was not making a deal with them after that.
So, assuming you could have a national election that was even close to legitimate, on the Republican side you have Trump and DeSantis. Trump is a known liar with demonstrated poor judgement and very anti 2A leanings. He is also still proclaiming the vax, at least as of about two months ago as “saving millions of lives.” Then you have the neocon DeSantis, a GW Bush clone.
On March 28, 2023 at 12:35 pm, X said:
I never trusted Trump on guns, ever. He is a New York City loudmouth from Manhattan. I have seen far too many New York politicians claim they are pro-2A to get elected and then stab us in the back. George Pataki and Kathy Hochul and Kirsten Gillibrand were all NRA-endorsed. Rudy Giuliani instituted “assault weapon” confiscation in New York City.
Frankly I was (and remain) shocked at how many rural, Southern, Red State people flocked to Trump as if he were Jesus Christ walking on the Sea of Galilee.
Don’t get me wrong, I voted for the guy because the alternative was so much worse. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. But it’s not as if the guy didn’t have a LOT of flaws.
On March 29, 2023 at 5:11 am, Joe Blow said:
Trump is not our savior.
Love the man. Love what he did for this country.
He is not the man who will save it.
Neither is Ron….