US retailers rethink gun sales policies as Trump backs tighter controls

In the aftermath of the massacre at a Florida high school last month, Donald Trump has backed gun control proposals in opposition to the powerful National Rifle Association and much of his own party.

In a White House meeting on Wednesday with both congressional Republicans and Democrats addressing gun violence, President Donald Trump said that there was need for a “beautiful” bill that would force stricter background checks on gun purchases, ban mentally ill people from owning weapons, increase securities at schools and increase the minimum age for buying a gun.

The most remarkable comment was Trump's endorsement of “taking the guns first” without legal authorisation from people who are suspected of being mentally troubled, such the Florida shooter.

The Florida massacre has also sparked changes among the gun retailers. On Wednesday Dick’s Sporting Goods announced it would no longer sell assault-style rifles in its stores or subsidiaries.

On Thursday, Walmart has also released a statement announcing they would raise the age restriction for purchase to 21 years of age and they are also removing items from the website that resemble assault rifles, including non lethal airsoft guns and toys.

Retailer Kroger has also announced on Thursday that it would stop selling guns to buyers under 21 through its 43 Fred Meyer locations where it sells firearms.

Although these new measures have caused Republicans to turn on Trump, claiming that the gun lobby and the National Rifle Association had fully supported the President and now he was letting them down by yielding to the Democrats.

Michael Hammond, legislative counsel for Gun Owners of America, said “he’s become the gun-grabber-in-chief”.

“If he succeeds in doing everything he talked about in the meeting, he will far surpass Barack Obama as an enemy of the Second Amendment,” he said.

Conservative Republican Ben Sasse said that the party would not shift positions on gun control regardless if the President was easy to sway and could change his mind on a whim.

“Strong leaders do not automatically agree with the last thing that was said to them. We’re not ditching any constitutional protections simply because the last person the president talked to today doesn’t like them.”

Democrat Senator Dick Durbin is also skeptical about Trump’s change of heart and has said he doesn’t fully believe the President will go through with what he said on Wednesday, “I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.”

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said that if Trump didn’t follow through this time it would hurt his reputation and the party.

"If we don't do it this time, then this will get old." Graham said, "If the President has another one of these sessions and he doesn't follow through -- it's going to hurt him. It's going to hurt the Republican Party."

Trump has accused his fellow Republicans of being afraid of the NRA while spokeswoman for the association, Jennifer Baker said that these measures “made for good television but won’t keep our children safe”.