Sen. Chris Murphy on Friday threw cold water on the notion that Donald Trump will help pass new gun control laws.
Even though the presumed Republican presidential nominee is set to meet with the National Rifle Association to discuss the idea of banning people on terror watch lists from buying guns, the Connecticut Democrat doesn’t believe that will make a difference among congressional Republicans.
“So long as his position is he is going to negotiate the national security of the United States with the NRA, that is not constructive,” Murphy said on MSNBC Friday. “Let me give you a news flash: The NRA is not going to support any measures to stem gun violence in this country. They just aren’t. So, so long as that’s Donald Trump’s positioning, I’m not sure that he’s sending any real positive signals.”
Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that he will meet with the NRA in the wake of Orlando’s terror attack, and the NRA said it would gladly meet to discuss new legislation.
But Murphy said he doesn’t think he can use Trump as a “wedge” against the NRA.
“Well I just haven’t seen that yet. He’s basically announced to everybody he won’t support anything that the NRA won’t,” Murphy explained. “What’s going to change this is that Republican senators, especially those who have to go back to the electorate this November, are scared to death of voting against the measure that we got a vote scheduled on Monday. That’s what’s going to change this.”
Following Murphy’s near 15-hour-long filibuster on the Senate floor over gun control laws, the Senate is set to vote on four gun-related amendments to a spending bill Monday. One of those is a measure that would allow federal officials to block people from purchasing firearms if they are under investigation.
The votes will happen in response to the Sunday terrorist attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., that left 49 people dead and 53 others injured. The shooter, Omar Mateen, had been on a terror watch list but was removed and was able to legally purchase two guns used in the attack.
