WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - National Rifle Association President Wayne LaPierre rejected calls for tougher restrictions on firearms, saying they would not have stopped the weekend dual massacres.
The head of America's powerful gun lobby made a statement on Thursday after reportedly speaking to President Donald Trump in the wake of two mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton that killed 31 people.
'I'm not inclined to discuss private conversations with President Trump or other key leaders on this issue,' LaPierre said in a statement.
'But I can confirm that the NRA opposes any legislation that unfairly infringes upon the rights of law-abiding citizens. The inconvenient truth is this: the proposals being discussed by many would not have prevented the horrific tragedies in El Paso and Dayton.'
LaPierre said the NRA will work in good faith to pursue real solutions to the epidemic of violence in America. 'But many proposals are nothing more than 'soundbite solutions' - which fail to address the root of the problem, confront criminal behavior, or make our communities safer,' according to him.
Trump has not mentioned if he discussed the matter with LaPierre, but he had said earlier that there is 'no political appetite' for legislation banning assault-style weapons. He also expressed support for a background check bill.
The Washington Post reported Thursday citing 'officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity' that LaPierre spoke with Trump on Tuesday and told him it would not be popular among Trump's supporters if he backs the bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sens. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.) and Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), proposing tougher background checks.
The House passed the Background Check Expansion Act in February, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to introduce the Bill in the Republican-controlled Senate.
In Trump's opinion, mass shootings are perpetrated by mentally unstable people, and rejected considering a ban on huge, large-capacity magazines.
Addressing the NRA's annual convention in Dallas last year, Trump had assured that second amendment rights will 'never, ever be under siege as long as I'm your president.'
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