First daughter Ivanka Trump is reportedly working behind the scenes on gun control by reaching out to lawmakers’ offices to gauge interest in new firearms laws since recent shootings in Ohio and Texas.
A White House official said that Ms. Trump “has trusted relationships on both sides of the aisle and she is working in concert with the White House policy and legislative teams,” according to a Tuesday report at Axios.
The first daughter and her husband, Jared Kushner, have already built considerable relationships on Capitol Hill following their work to pass last year’s big criminal justice bill, whose implementation began last month. She has also been working with lawmakers on the issue of paid family leave.
According to the Axios report, Ms. Trump has already spoken with Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Pat Toomey, R-Penn., who are cosponsors of enhanced background check legislation that failed in 2013 when it was brought up in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre.
“She called Manchin and said she was trying to get a sense of what bills are out there,” one of Manchin’s aide told Axios. “She had him explain how they drafted the bill, where it stands and what changes needed to be made in order for it to pass.”
So what else is there in addition to the Manchin-Toomey bill? Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says he’s working on a “red flag” confiscation bill with anti-gun Democrat Richard Blumenthal, Conn., that would incentivize state-level confiscation laws. Graham recently responded to pro-gun rights criticisms of these laws by saying that “The Second Amendment is not a suicide pact.”
In addition to Ivanka Trump’s efforts, President Trump’s policy team has also been quietly meeting with key offices on the subject of gun control. A Wednesday morning report details that White House policy staffers have also reached out to Manchin and Toomey, as well as the vehemently anti-gun Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
Since the recent shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, President Trump has come out in favor of both “red flag” confiscation policies — which present concerns about potential infringement of due process rights — and enhanced background check legislation. Ms. Trump also came out in favor of confiscation policies.
There is still zero evidence that new background check laws or “red flag” confiscation policies would have successfully prevented either shooting. (For more from the author of “‘Red Flag’-Supporting Ivanka Trump Is Now Putting Behind-The-Scenes Efforts into Gun Control” please click HERE)
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