It’s being reported that Trump is open the idea of banning all gun purchases to certain individuals, like those who have mental illness:
NEWSMAX – President Donald Trump is “open” to banning some individuals from possessing any guns, CNBC reports, citing an unnamed White House official.
The White House would consider barring all firearms for some individuals, like those with mental illnesses, the official told CNBC.
If accurate, it would represent the latest in a flurry of gun control measures Trump has moved on or is considering.
Trump is also open to raising the age limit on all gun purchases:
Trump also backed a bipartisan Senate bill to improve the existing background check system, and Axios reported Wednesday that privately, Trump is open to possibly raising the age limit on all guns.
Currently, federal law prohibits handgun sales to anyone under 21, but long guns, like the sporting rifle used last week in the massacre of 17 students and adults, can be purchased by anyone over 18.
Television personality Geraldo Rivera told the AP he discussed the idea of raising the minimum age to purchase assault-type weapons with Trump last weekend.
“At our dinner at Mar-a-Lago I presented the Juvenile Assault Weapons Ban idea,” said Rivera. “He took it under advisement, and further suggested strongly that he was going to act to strengthen background checks.”
To be honest I’m not exactly sure what ‘mental illness’ really means anymore. Are we talking about someone who is older but has the mind of a five year old, or someone with dementia, or someone who suffers from chronic depression, or someone who is transgender? Are we talking about those who would be considered clinically insane, or those with obsessive compulsive disorders? The list could go on. I’d be interested to see the details of what Trump is actually open to, because I’m not sure ‘mental illness’ itself is all that descriptive.
Also with regard to raising the age, I don’t know how I feel about this one, especially since you can’t purchase alcohol legally until you’re 21.