Trump, NRA open to ban on ‘bump stocks’ for guns
President Trump and the National Rifle Association got behind the push for outlawing “bump stocks” Thursday, giving rare momentum to gun control legislation in response to the Las Vegas massacre.
The NRA, which for decades has opposed any new restrictions on firearms even after mass shootings, made a sharp pivot minutes before the White House gave the green light to debating a ban on bump stocks.
The Las Vegas shooter used the device to turn his semi-automatic rifles into rapid-fire weapons similar to machine guns, producing a hail of gunfire that in 10 minutes killed at least 58 people and wounded nearly 500.
“Despite the fact that the Obama administration approved the sale of bump fire stocks on at least two occasions, the National Rifle Association is calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to immediately review whether these devices comply with federal law,” the NRA and its lobbying arm, the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said in a joint statement.
“The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations,” read the statement, which was issued by NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre and NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox.
Mr. Trump got aboard the move toward a ban, which already had garnered support from some Republican lawmakers.
