Eric Trump says it’s not a ‘a big deal if you raise the age to 21’ to buy certain guns
Eric Trump has endorsed plans by his father, President Donald Trump, to raise the age limit for purchasing assault weapons to 21.
“I’m a big Second Amendment person. I don’t think it’s a big deal if you raise the age to 21,” the President’s son said along with offering his support for more comprehensive background checks.
“At least personally, I don’t want to see a whack job get any kind of dangerous object of any kind,” he told Fox & Friends.
He continued: “I don’t want them buying a chainsaw. I don’t want them buying a hammer. I probably don’t want them buying a car because they can be just as deadly. I surely don’t want them buying an assault rifle.”
Support among Republicans for raising the age limit has grown in the wake of a school shooting in Florida earlier this month that left 17 people dead.
But the proposal has received pushback from the National Rifle Association, one of the most powerful gun-rights lobbying organisations, which argues that people aged 18 to 20 should not have their constitutional right to buy a guy infringed upon.
Mr Trump has called for raising the age limit to buy certain types of guns – including the AR-15 assault rifle believed to have been used in the shooting – from 18 to 21 and banning bump stocks, which enable semi-automatic weapons to fire hundreds of rounds a minute.
But the NRA opposes such moves.
“The NRA doesn’t back any ban,” spokeswoman Dana Loesch said on ABC’s This Week.
Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said increasing the minimum age of gun purchases is an idea that is “on the table.”
““I think the president’s been very thoughtful in what he’s proposing,” she told the Washington Examiner. “He’s listening to these parents. I think universally, we want to make sure our schools are safe. Period.”
Since the Florida shooting, student across the country have become vocal advocates for gun control, calling for members of Congress to act.
Mr Trump has also suggested arming teachers and school officials, a proposal that has been widely criticised.
Nineteen centrist Republicans in the House of Representative have requested that House Speaker Paul Ryan schedule a vote this week on legislation that would improve the national background check system for firearm purchases
According to the Washington Post, the narrowly focused bill would reinforce the requirement that federal agencies report all criminal infractions to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and create financial incentives for states to do so as well.
More than 100 House Democrats also plan to co-sponsor legislation this week banning assault weapons, Politico reported, but that proposal is not expected to receive much support from Republicans.
