February 28, 2018: President Trump Wants a "Terrific" Bill to Address Gun Violence in America

 

2/28/18: Two weeks since the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High. Two days more since the president claimed, if he had been there, he would have rushed in unarmed to try to stop the shooter (see: 2/26/18).

 

A grand conclave at the White House is called to address the matter of gun violence in America. “It’s time to stop this nonsense,” President Trump tells lawmakers and an audience watching on television.

 

Most lawmakers, Trump explains to the American people, are “petrified” of the N.R.A and the gun lobby. Not him. “They have great power over you people,” he tells gathered senators. “They have less power over me.” He wants everyone to know that he is the man to put an end to the carnage.

 

Sen. Cornyn appears doubtful as he listens to Trump.

 

He would have braved gunfire two weeks ago, he has said. Now he wants everyone to understand he’s ready to run through the friendly fire directed at him from the Second Amendment folks. He tells Democrats and Republicans both. He wants “one terrific bill.” He prefers something on the “strong side.” He doesn’t want to nibble at a problem that has baffled his predecessors. “We want to pass something great, and to me the something great has to be where we prevent it from happening again,” he continues, referring to the slaughter in Parkland, Fla., on February 14. “It would be so beautiful to have one bill,” he intones.

 

(Pardon Mr. Blogger’s if he sounds skeptical. He remembers when Trump said repealing and replacing Obamacare would be “so easy.”)

 

The real question was what, exactly, the president wanted included in his one “terrific” bill? And how hard would he fight for gun control measures? Ah, there was the rub. He had hinted at federal action to raise the age to buy an AR-15 style rifle to 21. Stronger background checks? Hard to tell, but Trump seemed in favor. He did say he was against an N.R.A.-backed push to expand concealed-carry protections. As for “red flag” laws, he bemoaned the fact that it was so difficult to take guns away from people who had been identified as dangerous to themselves or to others.

 

“Take the firearms first, and then go to court,” Trump suggested, stopping Vice President Mike Pence in mid-sentence. His second-in-command had been offering up a version of the due-process argument that the N.R.A. and other gun-rights absolutist have used to block reform measures for a quarter century. “You could do exactly what you’re saying,” he told lawmakers, “but take the guns first, go through due process second.” He said again that senators were afraid of the gun lobby.

 

Sen. Ben Sasse, among others, raised alarm, noting that “due process” rights were kind of a big deal.

 

Besides, the N.R.A.’s political wing had spent $42.3 million during the 2016 election cycle to boost Trump’s and Republicans’ chances of winning.

 

Asked afterwards, his impression of the meeting, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Tex.) was as skeptical as this blogger. “I thought it was fascinating television,” he told reporters.

 

BLOGGER’S NOTE (6/10/2022): In the wake of another mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, we know what happened during the last three years of Trump’s time in office. Nothing, really.

 

The carnage continued unabated. Trump had no more success getting guns out of the hands of crazy Americans than he did getting Kim Jong-un to give up his nuclear arsenal.