Undercuts GOP..

Trump undercuts GOP talking points: 'Take the guns first'

He also accuses lawmakers of being afraid of the NRA.

By CRISTIANO LIMA

President Donald Trump took a hammer to Republicans' usual talking points Wednesday, suggesting authorities skirt “due process” to seize guns from people who pose a public safety risk and accusing GOP lawmakers of being too “afraid” to stand up to the National Rifle Association.

During a meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers on school safety, Trump said there’s “no bigger fan” of the NRA than himself.

But he told Sen. Pat Toomey the lawmaker was "afraid of the NRA" because a bill the Pennsylvania Republican introduced in 2013 didn't address raising the minimum age to buy certain weapons.

And Trump said he would prefer to move quickly to seize guns from people who could pose a danger.

"A lot of times, by the time you go to court, it takes so long to go to court to get the due process procedures," Trump said. “Take the guns first, go through due process second."

In the wide-ranging televised discussion, Trump also suggested an NRA-backed proposal to extend people's rights to carry concealed weapons was dead in the water politically and called for a more “comprehensive” measure on background checks for firearm sales than GOP lawmakers have offered so far.

The president lamented that people could obtain high-powered weapons, like the AR-15 assault gun used in the deadly Florida high school shooting, at the age of 18 in some places.

Trump told lawmakers he “would give very serious thought” to supporting a proposal to lift the age requirement on the purchase of such firearms to 21 years old, even if it went against the wishes of the NRA.

“I can say that the NRA is opposed to it. And I’m a fan of the NRA, there’s no bigger fan,” Trump said of the proposal. “But that doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything.”

Toomey, who along with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced a guns bill in 2013, said the legislators “didn’t address” that idea in their legislation, which has resurfaced in conversations in recent weeks. Their proposal would expand firearm background checks to include online sales and gun shows.

“You know why? Because you’re afraid of the NRA,” Trump responded.

Toomey's office rebuffed the assertion, citing his continued support for the bill to expand background checks. The NRA, which rates lawmakers based on their support for gun rights, downgraded Toomey's rating from an "A" in 2010 to a "C" in 2016, after he again pushed for his proposal in the Senate.

"Senator Toomey has not received a dime from the NRA since joining the Senate," press secretary Steve Kelly said in a statement. "Senator Toomey has demonstrated that he is not afraid of the NRA or any other special interest group."

Trump claimed that while some officials were "petrified" of the gun group, it has less influence on him.

“They have great power over you people," Trump told lawmakers. "They have less power over me.”

The NRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump praised legislation proposed by Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn to bolster the reporting process to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. But the president appeared to go beyond Republican leadership in calling for a more “comprehensive” approach to background checks for firearm purchases.

“'Fix NICS' has some really good things in it, but it would be nice if we could add everything onto it,” Trump told Cornyn. "And maybe you change the title, the U.S. Background Check Bill or whatever."

Cornyn replied: “If we could get 60 votes for it, Mr. President, I’m all for it."