Gun lobby reins in Trump after he hints at controls

President brought back into line following a day of sympathetic rhetoric that stunned Republicans

DONALD TRUMP appeared to make a sharp about-turn on gun control measures yesterday.

The president had talks with the National Rifle Association less than a day after stunning Republicans by indicating support for a series of Democrat-inspired measures over gun control.

Those measures included confiscation of weapons without due process in court, tighter background checks, discussion of a possible assault weapons ban, and raising the minimum age for buying semi-automatics from 18 to 21.

Mr Trump subsequently met the NRA at the White House, along with Mike Pence, the vice-president.

He then wrote on Twitter: “Good (Great) meeting in the Oval Office tonight with the NRA!” Chris Cox, executive director of America’s biggest gun lobby, said he had been assured of the president’s support for the Second Amendment, which enshrines in the Constitution the right to bear arms. He had also been assured by Mr Trump that there would be no gun controls.

Mr Cox said: “The president and the vice president support the Second Amendment, support strong due process, and don’t want gun control.”

The Oval Office meeting was hastily arranged after the NRA, which backed Mr Trump with $30million during his 2016 election campaign, was left reeling by comments he made at a public gathering with members of Congress.

Mr Trump had invited politicians to find answers in the wake of America’s deadly high school shooting last month in Florida, which cost 17 lives.

There he accused Republican members of Congress of being “petrified” of – and being “controlled” by – the NRA. “They have less control over me,” he added.

That is understood to have caused consternation and alarm among NRA members, whose five million members have been a key pillar of Mr Trump’s support.

After the gun lobby appeared to have reined him in, there was little movement on the issue in Congress, where many Republicans expressed their irritation with the president.

John Cornyn, the number two Republican in the Senate, said: “Obviously, he’s important. But it’s our job to write the legislation and he either vetoes it or he signs it.” As Democrats proposed a host of gun control measures, Mitch Mcconnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, said no bills relating to the issue would be discussed next week.

The Senate would instead focus on proposed laws for the banks, he said.

It came as Mr Trump faced mounting tumult in a White House beset by internal feuding and speculation about imminent departures, including John Kelly, chief of staff, Hrmcmaster, national security adviser, and Gary Cohn, chief economic adviser.