Donald Trump Endorses More ‘Common Sense’ Background Checks for Gun Purchases

President Donald Trump endorsed the idea of “meaningful” background checks on Friday, as Congress continues to grapple with the concept of more gun control after the duel mass shootings last weekend.

“Serious discussions are taking place between House and Senate leadership on meaningful Background Checks,” Trump wrote on Twitter, describing the concept as a “common sense” approach to the problem.

Trump said he was speaking with representatives from the National Rifle Association to make sure they were at the table during the discussion.

“I am the biggest Second Amendment person there is, but we all must work together for the good and safety of our Country,” he wrote. “Common sense things can be done that are good for everyone!”

Serious discussions are taking place between House and Senate leadership on meaningful Background Checks. I have also been speaking to the NRA, and others, so that their very strong views can be fully represented and respected. Guns should not be placed in the hands of…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2019

….mentally ill or deranged people. I am the biggest Second Amendment person there is, but we all must work together for the good and safety of our Country. Common sense things can be done that are good for everyone!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2019

Democrats have pushed for additional universal background checks as a solution to the gun violence problem in the country, despite many mass shooters passing a background check to purchase their rifles.

Senate Republicans blocked the passage of a bill to enact more background checks after the Sandy Hook elementary shootings, despite former President Barack Obama pushing desperately for it to pass.

Trump’s endorsement of the idea of expanding background checks runs against his 2015 campaign stance on the issue.

His campaign document on protecting the Second Amendment read:

Every time a person buys a gun from a federally licensed gun dealer – which is the overwhelming majority of all gun purchases – they go through a federal background check. Too many states are failing to put criminal and mental health records into the system – and it should go without saying that a system’s only going to be as effective as the records that are put into it. What we need to do is fix the system we have and make it work as intended. What we don’t need to do is expand a broken system.