Trump’s History Opposing Common-Sense Gun Reforms
February 21, 2018
At the end of his listening session on gun violence today, Trump once again voiced his support for putting more guns in classrooms. This is not the answer. Instead of continuing to push his past positions opposing common-sense gun reforms, we hope Trump will actually listen and take steps to prevent another tragedy from happening again – so far he’s done nothing.
Trump has opposed almost all common-sense protections on guns:
- Trump argued school shootings were inevitable and would happen “no matter what.”
- Trump has argued more guns would lessen the impact of mass shootings, including in schools and night clubs.
- Trump said he wanted to mandate that every school in America allow guns in classrooms.
- Trump said he wanted to eliminate gun-free zones at schools.
- Trump opposed expanding background checks.
- Trump opposed banning those on the terror watch list from buying guns.
- Trump proposed cuts to programs that help localities respond to mass shootings.
- Trump said he would overturn President Obama’s actions to strengthen criminal background checks.
- Trump signed a law reversing an Obama-era rule tightening gun background checks for the mentally disabled.
- Trump opposed closing the gun show loophole.
- Trump failed to take action on bump stocks for months after the Las Vegas mass shooting.
- Trump said “ I don't think you need further gun restrictions.”
- Trump has gone as far as saying the government should not place any kind of limits on the types of firearms people can own.
Trump has repeatedly advocated for the proliferation of guns:
- Trump: “You look at Paris, no guns, nothing. You look at California, no guns. I can tell you one thing. If I’m in there and if I had a gun, I’m – we’re going down shooting. We’re going to knock them out.”
- Trump: “If you had a guy like you or me, or some other guys in that room that had guns, it wouldn’t have been that way.”
- Trump: “I would say that I would and I have a permit, which is very unusual in New York — a permit to carry. And I do carry on occasion, sometimes a lot. But I like to be unpredictable so that people don't know exactly.”
- Trump: “If in that club where so many died and so many are so badly wounded and injured, if in that club, you had some people, not a lot of people because you don’t need a lot of people, but if you had somebody with a gun strapped on to their hip, somebody with a gun strapped on to their ankle, and you had bullets going to the opposite direction right at this animal who did this, you would’ve had a very, very different result.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Phoenix AZ, 6/18/16]
Trump made clear that his loyalties lay with the NRA:
- Trump to the NRA: “You came through big for me, and I am going to come through for you.”
- Trump: “I'm very friendly with the NRA.” [WFOR (CBS 4 Miami), 7/26/16]
- Trump to the NRA: “I will not let you down.”