President Donald Trump is still thinking of increasing the age limit for the purchase of firearms. However, the President has conceded that there is no political support for such a move. According to the White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, at the moment the President wants to push legislation on issues that have bipartisan support. She added that Trump still supports increasing the age limit for the purchase of certain guns but felt that he could not initiate such a policy on his own.
The President had previously proposed increasing the age limit for buying guns to 21. This age limit would prohibit people younger than 21 from buying assault-style weapons like the AR-15 which was used in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting last month. However, the President’s proposal didn’t go down well with the NRA and there was immediate pushback from the organization.
Trump wrote on Twitter that he is concerned about the lack of political support from lawmakers on the age restriction. The President had also accused members of his own party for being afraid of the NRA in a White House meeting. Nonetheless, there will be other measures that his administration is willing to take in response to the Parkland mass shooting.
The President said that he would push for a “very strong improvement” in background checks for Americans who want to purchase firearms. Trump is also proposing the banning of bump stocks. Bump stocks were used by a mass shooter in the Las Vegas concert. This device converts a semiautomatic weapon into an automatic one. The President also added that highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry in accordance with state laws. Trump feels that this step would harden schools against potential shooters in the future and will deter attacks.
In a tweet sent on Monday morning, Trump wrote that the idea of gun-free zones was an “invitation” for violence and danger. The tweet basically reinforced Trump’s position to arm teachers as part of the response package in addressing school shootings in the country.
Despite the President backing down on his proposal to raise the age limit to 21 for purchasing certain guns, various states across the country have been pushing for tighter regulations. Earlier this month, Florida’s Governor Rick Scott signed a new law that raises the age limit for buying assault-style weapons to 21. The Florida law also banned bump stocks and introduced a three-day waiting period when buying firearms. The legislation will also allow willing teachers to carry guns in schools.
However, the Florida bill was met with pushback from the NRA. The organization has sued the state in a bid to stop the implementation of the new law. It’s very unlikely though that this lawsuit will stop other states from moving forward with such gun reforms.
