GUNS/NRA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Friday [8-9-19] expressed optimism that he’ll secure bipartisan consensus on ‘meaningful background checks’ and other gun reform measures despite staunch opposition from the National Rifle Association and years of federal inaction on the deeply divisive issue. In early morning tweets, the president said he has spoken in recent days with NRA officials to ensure their interests are ‘fully represented and respected’ in negotiations on gun legislation following two mass shootings over the weekend. But Trump also suggested the resistance from the powerful firearm lobby would not slow his reform push…The president Friday morning tweeted that ‘serious discussions are taking place between House and Senate leadership on meaningful Background Checks,’ and confirmed he has ‘also been speaking to the NRA, and others, so that their very strong views can be fully represented and respected.’”
–Quint Forgey, “Trump is high on gun reform chances despite NRA resistance,” Politico, August 9, 2019 12:29 pm