But on Feb. 28, Trump appeared to back a “much more comprehensive” gun bill and expressed support for changes to background checks and stricter age restrictions on gun buying. Speaking during a bipartisan meeting on school and community safety, Trump conceded such talk about age restrictions was “not a popular thing to say, in terms of the NRA. But I’m saying it anyway.”
Also, Trump added: “You can buy the kind of weapon used in the school shooting at 18. I think it’s something you have to think about.”
Yet two weeks later, Trump appeared to change his tune and backed off gun-control measures opposed by the NRA, including age limits. “Not much political support (to put it mildly),” Trump said in a tweet.
Trump also appeared to distance himself from any changes to background checks and instead the administration is focusing on such things as weapons training for teachers.
John Donohue, professor of law at Stanford, said the NRA has suffered setbacks in some states such as Florida with new gun-control bills as well as some local ordinances. But, he added, the gun group is essentially in the driver’s seat when it comes to blocking federal legislation. For example, Donohue said he wasn’t surprised Trump ultimately sided with the NRA even after hinting otherwise.
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