The Senate’s top Democrat on Thursday challenged President Trump to stand up to the National Rifle Association by backing a ban on “bump stocks” and other new gun-control laws.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said there wasn’t time to wait for the debate after the massacre in Las Vegas, where the shooter used a bump stock that enables rapid fire from a semiautomatic rifle similar to a machine gun.
“President Trump, are you going to wait to hear what the NRA says first? Are you going to wait for the NRA to give you the green light?” Mr. Schumer said on the Senate floor.
He reminded the billionaire businessman that he campaigned for president as someone not beholden to any special interests.
“You fashioned yourself as a strong man. Well, are you going to show that you are not beholden to anyone now?” he said. “Are you going to show your strength now? Are you going to be the first Republican president in a generation to buck the NRA?”
Several Republican lawmakers have voiced support for a ban on bump stock and possible other devices that produce rapid fire in the wake of the Las Vegas massacre, which left at least 58 people dead and wounded 489.
Mr. Trump, who visited victims and first responders Wednesday in Las Vegas, said he was open to a debate of gun laws but that now it was too soon after the tragedy.
Mr. Schumer said he was glad that Mr. Trump went to Las Vegas to show solidarity, but the gun debate couldn’t wait.
“But he didn’t talk about guns. There is a huge opportunity that he missed to lead this nation in a reasonable, moderate debate on gun safety,” said the New York Democrat. “The president still has that opportunity. All eyes are on the president to see if he will grasp the opportunity and lead the nation to do something reasonable and moderate about guns and gun safety.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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