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After signaling support for some form of enhanced background checks on firearm sales, President Trump appeared to back down from the stance on Sunday. He insisted the background checks in place are tough enough. The president believes we should focus on mental health issues to help prevent mass shootings.
Gun control has once again become a hot button issue after two mass shootings earlier in the month. In the aftermath, the president seemed willing to break with his party on gun control. That willingness has faded as the mass shootings fade from the headlines.
As he has in the past, the president cited the need to work on mental health issues. He suggested bringing back mental institutions.
President Trump also declined to support an assault weapons ban, claiming the country had no appetite for it. However, most polls show majority support for banning so-called assault weapons. With a Republican majority in the Senate, this was never likely to pass anyway.
Mass shootings have become a growing and difficult problem in this country. Unfortunately, many of the solutions offered would be ineffective. Background checks would not have stopped most of the shootings that have occurred recently, as the shooters had no criminal background and would have passed background checks. An assault weapon ban may help reduce mass shootings in the future, but there are so many weapons in circulation already that it will take decades for them to become rare, let alone disappear.