By: Ashleigh Meyer
Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer reportedly spoke with President Trump on Sunday, calling on him to pressure Congress into passing stricter background check laws on firearms purchases.
As Democratic lawmakers probe deeper into the latest attempt at impeaching Trump, Schumer, Pelosi, and others on the left are urging the president to “prove that he can still govern” by rallying the Senate to pass H.R. 8; a so-called “bi-partisan” House bill that expands background checks to private sales and closes so-called gun sale “loopholes.”
The request made by Schumer implies that he and Pelosi would view any efforts made by Trump to pass H.R. 8 as an act of redemption, but we all know that isn’t going to happen. The tactic amounts to nothing more than bait, and even if the President were to successfully pass the bill, the left would still villainize and scandalize his every move. The question that 2A supporters are asking now is: Can Trump see past the temptation to rack up make-believe points with Democratic leaders?
2020 and Beyond
Democrats have been pushing gun control for, well, ever, with efforts heightened as America moves toward the 2020 election. Top Democratic candidates have made gun control legislation a cornerstone of their campaigns. Most recently, Beto O’Rourke signed on to the March for Our Lives Plan – a strict gun law revision strategy that includes, among other measures, a mandatory buyback program for so-called “assault-style” weapons. Beto is urging his fellow lawmakers and presidential hopefuls to join the bandwagon.
Like-minded Kamala Harris also expressly supports buyback programs, universal background checks, and stricter legal penalties for gun sellers and manufacturers whose weapons are used in the commission of a crime.
Trump is expected to announce his intentions for new gun control measures any day. Many conservatives and gun-rights advocates are anxious, and reasonably so, as Trump has wavered on gun control from the start. The Republican-controlled Senate is unlikely to pass H.R. 8 without major revisions, but it does seem inevitable that gun laws are about to change in the United States.
The President has two choices: he can offer up a Hail Mary of sorts to gun-control advocates by influencing the Senate or even taking executive action in an effort to soften the left’s opinion of him, OR, he can refuse gun measures and attempt to rally his existing base. Time will reveal the president’s chief motives: retaining the support of the citizens who entrusted him with the Office, or political survival.
Ashleigh Meyer is a professional writer and a Conservative political analyst from rural Virginia.