Sen. Lindsey Graham said Thursday that presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who says he’s meeting with the National Rifle Association to talk about banning people on the government’s no-fly list from buying guns, is on the “right road” on the issue.
“I want to applaud Mr. Trump. I think he’s [going] to the middle on something that’s very important,” Mr. Graham said on “Fox and Friends.”
The South Carolina Republican said he didn’t want the audience to believe he thinks ongoing terror issues are tied to gun control, citing intelligence failures and the shortcomings of President Obama.
“However, if you’re on a no-fly list — if the government has determined it’s too dangerous for you to get on an airplane, I believe you shouldn’t be able to buy a gun but have a process to challenge that determination in court,” Mr. Graham said.
“So that’s where Mr. Trump is going,” he said. “Mr. Trump is on the right road to trying to find the middle ground. If you’re on a no-fly list, if you’ve been selected for extra screening because of your behavior, you present a danger or a threat, then I don’t think you should be able to buy a gun, but you should have a way to challenge the government’s accusation against you.”
Mr. Trump has betrayed few specific details about what he might support on the issue — but said he’s serious about having the conversation.
“I’m going to be looking at it very, very seriously,” Mr. Trump said in an interview that aired Wednesday evening on Fox News’ “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren.” “The terror watch list and the no-fly list — I’m going to be talking to the NRA about that and starting a real dialogue.”
Senate Democrats are trying to force a vote on legislation on the issue introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, while Republicans have expressed support for a separate measure from Sen. John Cornyn of Texas that would provide for a period of judicial review before a sale to a known or suspected terrorist is finally rejected.
Mr. Graham, a former 2016 GOP presidential candidate, reiterated that he is not supporting either Mr. Trump or likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
“All I can say to Mr. Trump: you’re on the right path here, my friend, when it comes to making sure guns don’t fall into the hands of the people [who] can’t fly on airplanes,” he said. “That makes a lot of sense to me.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.