Trump: Again open to strengthening gun background checks

WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump on Wednesday once again backed tighter background checks for gun purchases, but said he wants to be careful that closing what he calls “loopholes” doesn’t clear the way for more gun control.

Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House for Kentucky, the president said he considers gun violence a public health issue and is considering ways to make background checks more strict. But he also said, “You’re on that slope and all of a sudden nobody has any legal protection,” adding, “Our Second Amendment will remain strong.”

Told the “slippery slope” argument is a National Rifle Association talking point, Trump said, “It’s a Trump talking point.”

The rhetorical whiplash came after gunmen opened fire in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, leaving more than 30 people dead. In the days following the mass shootings early this month, Trump said he was eager to implement “very meaningful background checks” and told reporters there was “tremendous support” for action. He dismissed that very same “slippery slope” thinking, which he attributed to the NRA, saying, “I don’t agree with that.”

But he also has acknowledged that his core supporters support gun rights, highlighting the challenge of balancing the politics of gun control ahead of the 2020 elections.

On Tuesday, Trump signaled he was backing away from supporting changes to the system. Speaking to reporters, he noted that “a lot of the people that put me where I am are strong believers in the Second Amendment,” and he suggested he worries about blurring the contrast between Republicans and Democrats on the issue.

“We have to be very careful about that,” he said.