President Trump on Wednesday pressured House and Senate lawmakers to raise the federal minimum age for buying a rifle in the wake of the Florida school shooting, and said it makes “no sense” that people have to be 21 to buy a handgun, but can buy a rifle at age 18.
“Somebody can buy a handgun at 21,” Trump said at an open, televised meeting at the White House on guns. “Now this is not a popular thing to say in terms of the NRA, but I’m saying it anyway.”
“Think of it. You can buy a handgun … you have to wait till you’re 21,” he said. “But you can buy the kind of weapon used int he school shooting at 18. I think it’s something you have to think about.”
Trump said lawmakers have been afraid to raise the age limit because of opposition from the National Rifle Association, but he said it needs to be considered anyway.
“I can say the NRA’s opposed to it, and I’m a fan of the NRA, there’s no bigger fan,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense that I have to wait till I’m 21 to get a handgun, but I can get this weapon at 18. I don’t know.”
Trump asked Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., if his gun bill includes any language on age limits, and Toomey said it doesn’t.
“You know why? Because you’re afraid of the NRA,” he said.
Toomey the clarified that he worries about a large group of younger people losing their Second Amendment rights who don’t pose a threat to anyone.
“To deny them their Second Amendment right is not going to make anyone safer,” Toomey said.
Still, Trump predicted that lawmakers would have to figure out a position on age limits, and said he is getting pressure on the issue.
“I think you’re going to have to iron out that problem, because I’m asked that question almost more than any other question,” he said.
