Developing: Trump Backs Taking Guns From 'Mentally Ill' Before Due Process
President Donald Trump’s presidency has not been characterized by predictability, and his latest announcement on gun control is no exception.
“Take the firearms first and then go to court,” he said during a bipartisan meeting Wednesday.
He added that going to court could take too long.
“I like taking the guns early. Like in this crazy man’s case that just took place in Florida,” Trump said. “To go to court would take a long time. Take the guns first, go through due process second.”
As the Red State pointed out, Trump’s supporters have long considered him to be a conservative icon who would uphold gun owners’ rights, while liberals have considered him to be a barbarian.
This latest statement from the president might change both sides’ minds as he reveals his “true nature,” according to the Red State.
To start off with, taking action before going to court could cause many legal problems, but even more surprising is a Republican president’s willingness to confiscate guns.
It may become hard for liberals to make the argument that Trump “doesn’t care if children are shot in schools or in their homes.”
Also, there is a broad definition of mental illness or “crazy” as Trump refers to the Florida shooter Nikolas Cruz.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, mental illness can be defined as “any broad range of medical conditions that are marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, or emotions to impair normal psychological functioning and cause marked distress or disability and that are typically associated with a disruption in normal thinking, feeling, mood, behavior, interpersonal interactions, or daily functioning.”
This was not the first instance in the meeting where Trump has spoken against Republicans.
During the meeting, he asked Republican Sen. Pat Toomey and Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin if they addressed the legal age to purchase a firearm in their bill, the Red State reported.
When Sen. Toomey responded that they hadn’t, Trump said, “You know why, because you’re afraid of the NRA.”
According to USA Today, Trump wants “one terrific bill” to address better background checks, arming school officials, increasing age limit firearm purchases and keeping guns away from mentally ill.
“We can’t wait and play games and nothing gets done,” Trump said.
Gun-control and gun-rights advocates have both voiced their objections to the president’s ideas.
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