President Donald Trump seems to be taking the first steps toward addressing gun violence after the deadly shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio earlier this month – and that’s apparently making his advisers nervous.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that as Trump reaches out to a bipartisan group of senators to discuss gun control measures to prevent future mass shootings, several of his aides have been privately telling the President to dial it back.
The advisers reportedly fear backlash from Trump’s base if he were to co-sign any of the gun restrictions that have been recently floated by members of Congress, such as stronger background checks and “red flag” laws.
Upon hearing that Trump is in talks with Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) about possible gun control policies, the National Rifle Association’s chief executive immediately called the President last week to convince him why the policies were a political mistake.
