Trump hails 'great' meeting with NRA lobbyist
2 March 2018
President Donald Trump has hailed a meeting with a top National Rifle Association (NRA) lobbyist a day after saying that lawmakers were "petrified" of the organisation. Both Mr Trump and NRA lobbyist Chris Cox described their talks on Thursday as "great" on social media. The president supported the right to bear arms, Mr Cox added. The Oval Office meeting came just over two weeks after the Parkland school shooting in Florida in which 17 died. Mr Trump and Vice President Mike Pence met Mr Cox, the chief lobbyist for the Institute for Legislative Action - the NRA's lobbying branch. Shortly after the meeting on Thursday evening, Mr Cox tweeted that "POTUS and VPOTUS support the Second Amendment". This refers to the section of the US constitution which gives Americans the right to bear arms. An hour after Mr Cox, Mr Trump described the meeting as "Good (Great)". The White House is refusing to give further information about what happened or what was said. Mr Trump shocked Republicans and Democrats on Wednesday when he came out in support of gun control measures. In a televised meeting, he urged lawmakers to pass strong reform measures. "I want you to come up with a strong bill - and really strong on background checks," Mr Trump said, pushing them to work across party lines. The president also said the NRA has "great power over you people", but "less power over me". The call for new laws came after Mr Trump decided to ban "bump stocks" the week after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. However, some observers said Mr Trump's meeting with the NRA appeared to cast his gun control initiatives into doubt. Democratic Connecticut senator Chris Murphy, who attended Wednesday's televised meeting at which Trump backed gun control measures, called the NRA meeting "fascinating". Amid the political storm over guns, companies across the United States are cutting their ties with the NRA. Last week, two major airlines - United and Delta - decided to cancel discounted rates programmes for the organisation. The US state of Georgia passed a bill on Thursday denying Delta a tax break for its decision to end their NRA relationship. Other companies have also taken measures to distance themselves from the NRA, including car rental firms Hertz and Enterprise Holdings, and insurer MetLife Inc. Meanwhile, major retailers such as Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods have announced restrictions to gun sales.
Mr Trump and Vice President Mike Pence met Mr Cox, the chief lobbyist for the Institute for Legislative Action - the NRA's lobbying branch. Shortly after the meeting on Thursday evening, Mr Cox tweeted that "POTUS and VPOTUS support the Second Amendment". This refers to the section of the US constitution which gives Americans the right to bear arms. An hour after Mr Cox, Mr Trump described the meeting as "Good (Great)". The White House is refusing to give further information about what happened or what was said.
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What happened at the meeting?
Mr Trump shocked Republicans and Democrats on Wednesday when he came out in support of gun control measures. In a televised meeting, he urged lawmakers to pass strong reform measures. "I want you to come up with a strong bill - and really strong on background checks," Mr Trump said, pushing them to work across party lines. The president also said the NRA has "great power over you people", but "less power over me". The call for new laws came after Mr Trump decided to ban "bump stocks" the week after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. However, some observers said Mr Trump's meeting with the NRA appeared to cast his gun control initiatives into doubt. Democratic Connecticut senator Chris Murphy, who attended Wednesday's televised meeting at which Trump backed gun control measures, called the NRA meeting "fascinating".
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Where does President Trump stand on guns?