Should this be something that 2nd Amendment supporters, and civil rights supporters, be worried about?
(The Hill) President Trump on Wednesday voiced support for confiscating guns from certain individuals deemed to be dangerous, even if it violates due process rights.
“I like taking the guns early, like in this crazy man’s case that just took place in Florida … to go to court would have taken a long time,†Trump said at a meeting with lawmakers on school safety and gun violence.
“Take the guns first, go through due process second,†Trump said.
Trump was responding to comments from Vice President Pence that families and local law enforcement should have more tools to report potentially dangerous individuals with weapons.
“Allow due process so no one’s rights are trampled, but the ability to go to court, obtain an order and then collect not only the firearms but any weapons,†Pence said.
“Or, Mike, take the firearms first, and then go to court,” Trump responded.
Many of us noted that back during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s Trump seemed to be just fine with an assault weapons ban, lengthening the waiting periods, and lots more gun control, but then suddenly flipped in 2011, right at the time he started running for the GOP nomination for the 2012 election cycle. He’s talked the talk since, especially starting in 2016.
Is this just Trump spouting off? When he says provocative things on Twitter or during speeches, they seem more planned than off the cuff gaffes, designed to be provocative and get the Democrats and media all apoplectic. Does he mean this?
He’s also not enthused over including national concealed carry reciprocity with a gun control bill. I happen to agree. Do it separately.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are not planning to go big
Senate Republicans say President Trump’s comments Wednesday calling for more ambitious gun-control proposals won’t change the political calculus in their conference, which supports a limited response to the shooting at a Florida high school.
Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is leading the GOP response to gun violence in the upper chamber, told reporters after the meeting with Trump at the White House that he still favors a limited approach.
He wants to put a narrow bill on the floor that would give state and local officials more incentive to report relevant information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System known as NICS.
“For me the most obvious place to start is the Fix NICS [National Instant Criminal Background Check System] bill that has 46 cosponsors,” Cornyn said of the bill he’s co-sponsored with Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.).
Start there. How about a requirement that all gun purchases and transfers, even private ones, have a background check done if one hadn’t been performed in the last 6 months? You can limit purchases to one per month. And increase penalties on people who use firearms for crimes. Let’s look at putting the focus on the criminals, not those who do not use them unlawfully.
