Trump says he wants background checks, also reassures NRA

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday he believes he has influence to rally Republicans around stronger federal background check laws as Congress and the White House work on a response to last weekend’s mass shootings in Texas and Ohio. “To get anything meaningful done to address gun violence, we need his commitment to hold a Senate vote on the House-passed background checks legislation,” Schumer said. As for the NRA, which has contributed millions to help Trump and other Republicans, the gun lobby’s chief executive, Wayne LaPierre, said this week that some federal gun control proposals “would make millions of law-abiding Americans less safe and less able to defend themselves and their loved ones.” But Trump said he’d spoken with LaPierre this week and “I think in the end, Wayne and the NRA will either be there or either be a little more neutral.” “Frankly, I really think they’re going to get there also,” he added. “And that’s a good thing.” McConnell said he and Trump discussed background checks and “red flag” laws. “I have a lot of concerns about the due process component of and I don’t want to punish law-abiding citizens.” The Wyoming senator has long opposed expanding background checks for gun sales and said, “I don’t expect things have changed much.” The politics of gun violence are difficult for Republicans, including McConnell.