President Trump said Tuesday he has asked the Justice Department to regulate “bump stocks,” the firearms accessory that can be used to make semi-automatic weapons fire at a rate similar to automatic weapons.
Trump’s move came less than a week after the Florida school shooting that left 17 dead, and several months after a shooter in Las Vegas used bump stocks to massacre dozens of people.
“Just a few moments ago, I signed a memorandum directing the attorney general to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns,” Trump said. “I expect that these critical regulations will be finalized, Jeff, very soon.”
“We can do more to protect our children. We must do more to protect our children,” Trump added.
“Today, I am directing the Department of Justice to dedicate all available resources to complete the review of the comments received, and, as expeditiously as possible, to propose for notice and comment a rule banning all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns,” Trump said in his memo that the White House released after he spoke.
Bump stocks use the recoil motion of a firearm to speed up the rate of fire. Until Tuesday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives had indicated that it doesn’t have the authority to regulate bump stocks, and had indicated to members of Congress that it would not be taking action because of the way the law is written.
Trump spoke immediately after White House press secretary Sarah Sanders indicated that a decision would be released this week to implement that order.
“I can tell you that the president supports not having the use of bump stocks, and that we expect further action on that in the coming days,” Sanders told reporters at the White House. “The president doesn’t support the use of those accessories.”
“The department understands this is a priority for the president and has acted quickly to move through the rule-making process,” said Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores. “We look forward to the results of that process as soon as it is duly completed.”
The White House has faced pressure to articulate a position on proposed gun control measures in the days since a gunman opened fire at a Parkland, Fla., high school last week and killed 17 children and adults.
