周五，唐纳德·特朗普总统继续宣布支持新的立法，该立法将加强联邦政府对购买枪支的背景调查，因为国会正在寻求两党合作的措施，在两起致命的大规模枪击事件后，这些措施可能会在两院获得通过。
“我可以告诉你，对有意义的——我说的是有意义的——有意义的背景调查有着巨大的善意，这样病人和精神错乱的人就不会随身携带枪支，”他在白宫告诉记者。“这是一个很大的精神疾病问题。枪不会扣动扳机——一个头脑，一个有病的头脑扣动扳机，我们想把它从方程式中去掉...我们非常支持常识性背景调查。”
在特朗普与国会领导人就解决上周导致31人死亡的大规模枪击事件中的枪支暴力问题进行谈话的第二天早上，特朗普发表了上述言论。
众议院议长南希·佩洛西和参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默周四晚上在一份联合声明中说:“今天下午，我们分别与总统进行了交谈，并告诉他解决我国枪支暴力问题的最佳途径是让参议院着手并通过众议院通过的普遍背景调查立法，并让总统签署成为法律。”。“总统向我们保证，他将审查两党众议院通过的立法，并理解我们对尽快采取行动帮助拯救生命的兴趣。”
特朗普表示，这个国家需要“智能背景调查”。这不是一个共和党或民主党全国步枪协会的问题。”他没有详细说明这种立法将包括的具体参数。
在清晨推特周五，总统证实他也和国家步枪协会进行了对话。媒体本周报道称，全国步枪协会在与特朗普的会谈中表示反对背景调查。他表示有信心说服枪支权利组织和国会共和党人通过某种形式的枪支控制法。
“我认为我现在对参议院和众议院有更大的影响力。我认为我们可以做得很好，”特朗普继续说道。"我想我们可以进行一些有意义的背景调查。"
唐纳德·特朗普总统在8月9日离开DC华盛顿前，在白宫南草坪对新闻界发表讲话。尼古拉斯·卡姆/法新社/盖蒂
特朗普还坚称，他与全国步枪协会有着“良好的关系”。
“他们很早就支持我了。我们会看到核监管机构在哪里。我已经和他们说过很多次了。他们是伟大的爱国者。他们非常热爱我们的国家。我认为最终，[核监管机构执行副总裁韦恩·拉皮尔]和核监管机构要么会在那里，要么会更加中立。全国步枪协会多年来在所有事情上都采取了非常强硬的立场，我理解这一点。这是一个滑坡——他们认为你赞成一件事，那会导致很多不好的事情。我不同意。”
总统进一步推动国会中的民主党和共和党领导人起草一项两党共同通过的法案。但他否认国会需要从八月份的休会中返回来立即采取行动，这是民主党人说参议院需要做的事情。
“我认为我们不需要给他们回电话。特朗普说:“我认为，当他们回来时，我们会有一个非常好的方案，届时他们可以开始辩论和投票。”。
国会要到9月的第二周才会回来，但佩洛西周四致信特朗普，要求他利用行政权力迫使参议院从2月份开始返回并处理众议院通过的立法，该立法要求对所有枪支销售和大部分枪支转让进行背景调查，包括私人交易。
这位加州民主党人写道:“今天，作为众议院议长，我真诚地请求你根据宪法第二条第3款的授权，立即召集美国参议院重新开会，审议众议院通过的两党枪支暴力预防立法。”。
特朗普此前曾威胁说，如果这两项法案通过共和党控制的参议院并提交给他，他将否决这两项法案。但他表示，先前未能通过两院的枪支管制立法可能会有新的机会，因为“从来没有像特朗普总统这样的总统”
他还声称参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔同意这一观点。麦康奈尔在周四接受电台采访时说，国会回来后，背景调查辩论将成为“前沿和中心”。
“我昨天和米奇·麦康奈尔谈过了。他完全同意，”特朗普说。
麦康奈尔发言人没有回应置评。
TRUMP PUSHES FOR 'COMMON SENSE BACKGROUND CHECKS' AFTER TALKS WITH PELOSI AND SCHUMER, CONFIRMS NRA TALKS
President Donald Trump on Friday continued to declare his support for new legislation that would strengthen federal background checks for buying firearms as Congress searches for bipartisan measures that could pass both chambers in the wake of two deadly mass shootings.
"I can tell you, there's tremendous goodwill for meaningful—I'm talking about meaningful, add that word—meaningful background checks so that sick and demented people don't carry around guns," he told reporters at the White House. "It's a big mental illness problem. The gun doesn't pull the trigger—a mind, a sick mind pulls the trigger, and we want to take that out of the equation... We have tremendous support for common-sense background checks."
The remarks came the morning after Trump spoke with congressional leaders about addressing gun violence from the mass shootings last week that left 31 people dead.
"We spoke to the president separately this afternoon and told him the best way forward to address gun violence in our country is for Leader McConnell to let the Senate take up and pass the House-passed universal background checks legislation and for the President to sign it into law," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a joint statement Thursday evening. "The President gave us his assurances that he would review the bipartisan House-passed legislation and understood our interest in moving as quickly as possible to help save lives."
Trump said the country needs "intelligent background checks. This isn't a question of NRA, Republican or Democrat." He did not elaborate on specific parameters that would be included in such legislation.
In early morning tweets on Friday, the president confirmed he's also been speaking with the National Rifle Association. Media reports this week said that the NRA expressed their opposition to background checks in talks with Trump. He expressed confidence that he can persuade both the gun rights group and congressional Republicans to get some form of gun control law passed.
"I think I have a greater influence now over the Senate and over the House. I think we can get something really good done," Trump continued. "I think we can have some meaningful background checks."
President Donald Trump speaks to the press on the South Lawn of the White House before departing in Washington, DC on August 9.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/GETTY
Trump also maintained he had a "great relationship" with the NRA.
"They supported me very early. We'll see where the NRA will be. I've spoken to them numerous times. They're great patriots. They love our country so much. I think in the end, [NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre] and the NRA will either be there or will maybe be more neutral. The NRA over the years has taken a very tough stance on everything and I understand it. It's a slippery slope—they think you approve one thing and that leads to a lot of bad things. I don't agree with that."
The president further pushed for Democratic and Republicans leaders in Congress to draft a bipartisan measure that would pass both chambers. But he denied the notion that Congress needs to return from their August recess to act immediately, something Democrats have said the Senate needs to do.
"I don't think we'll need to call them back. I think we'll have a very good package by the time they come back, and they can start debating and voting on it then," Trump said.
Congress is not slated to return until the second week of September, but Pelosi sent a letter to Trump on Thursday requesting he use his executive powers to force the Senate to return and address House-passed legislation from February that would require background checks for all gun sales and most gun transfers, including private transactions.
"Today, as Speaker of the House, I am writing in good faith to request that you call the United States Senate back into session immediately under your powers in Article II Section 3 of the Constitution to consider House-passed bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation," the California Democrat wrote.
Trump had previously threatened to veto those two bills, should they make it through the GOP-controlled Senate and to his desk. But he said previous gun control legislation that failed to pass both chambers may have a renewed opportunity because "there's never been a president like President Trump."
He also claimed that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell—who, in a radio interview Thursday said a background checks debate would be "front and center" when Congress returns—was in agreement.
"I talked to Mitch McConnell yesterday. He's totally on board," Trump said.
A McConnell spokesperson did not respond for comment.
