President Trump tamped down expectations that Congress would act quickly on gun legislation, including expanding background checks, amid a renewed drive to act following the mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.
“We’re not moving on anything. We’re going very slowly in one way because we want to make sure it’s right,” Trump told “Fox & Friends” in an interview that aired Thursday. “We’re doing a very careful job. We’re working with the Democrats we’re working with the Republicans.”
The president blamed Beto O’Rourke for scaring lawmakers away from the debate when the Democratic presidential hopeful said, “hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.”
“Part of the problem that we have is because of Beto O’Rourke’s statement about taking away guns. A lot of Republicans and some Democrats now are afraid to do anything to go down that slippery slope,” the president said in the interview taped while he was visiting the southern border on Wednesday.
Trump said O’Rourke’s comments left people with the impression that any legislative action is “just a way of taking away guns.”
“And that’s not good, because we’re not going to allow that. I’m very strong believer in the Second Amendment,” the president said.
Trump’s comments throw cold water on reports that Justice Department officials have been meeting with Democratic and Republican lawmakers to put together a package of gun measures – including background checks – that could be brought to Congress as early as this week.
The president appeared to initially support background checks after the mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, but then wavered after talking with National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre.
Fox News’ reporter Ed Henry asked Trump whether he would stand up against the powerful gun lobby and Republicans who oppose gun control.
“I will if it’s not going to hurt a good, solid, great American citizen from keeping his weapon, because they want that and they’re entitled to that,” the president said.
“I don’t want to have crazy people have guns, I don’t want to have bad people to have guns,” he continued. “And we’re not going to do nothing to hurt the Second Amendment. And what we want to do is see if we can come up with a compromise.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Congress is in a “holding pattern” as it awaits word from the Trump White House on what legislation it would support.
“I still await guidance from the White House as to what (Trump) thinks he’s comfortable signing,” the Kentucky Republican said earlier this week.