GUN CONTROL FIZZLES: Sen. Ron Johnson Does Not ‘Anticipate’ Passage of ‘Federal Red Flag Law’
Shane Trejo
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Senate Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson (D-WI) does not expect red flag gun control to be passed any time soon, as the media-driven hysteria following the gruesome mass shootings in El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH continues to wane.
“I really don’t see the dynamic having really changed there much,” Johnson said. “I don’t anticipate we’re going to pass a federal red flag law.
“There are a lot of downsides to passing more legislation that doesn’t do anything positive,” Johnson added.
Johnson’s statements follow news that President Donald Trump, who initially signaled support for strengthening background checks and enacting federal red flag laws following the shootings, was pivoting on the issue following strong constituent feedback against gun control.
“A lot of the people that put me where I am, are strong believers in the Second Amendment, and I am also. And we have to be very careful about that. You know, they call it the slippery slope. All of a sudden everything gets taken away,” Trump said to reporters. “We’re not going to let that happen.”
Johnson understands Trump’s point regarding the pulse of Republican voters. They are firmly opposed to gun control, particularly red flag laws that could be used by their political opponents to seize their guns without due process.
“If he’s talking to the same people I’d be talking to, he’d probably be a little bit more careful in terms of saying: ‘This is for sure what’s going to happen,’” Johnson said.
“All I can really tell you is what I hear in Wisconsin: The debate really hasn’t changed at all,” Johnson added. “I realize the clamor and I realize the polling, but I don’t think that really assesses peoples’ knowledge of what we’re really talking about here.”
Trump reportedly told NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre yesterday that background checks are off the table, and the pro-gun group issued a tweet in celebration of the good news.
I spoke to the president today. We discussed the best ways to prevent these types of tragedies. @realDonaldTrump is a strong #2A President and supports our Right to Keep and Bear Arms! – Wayne LaPierre
— NRA (@NRA) August 20, 2019
Democrats are up in arms about the apparent unwillingness of President Trump’s Republican Party to sell out the 2nd Amendment for the purposes of political expediency.
“These retreats are heartbreaking, particularly for the families of the victims of gun violence,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a tweet.
“It’s time for Republicans and President Trump to decide whose side they’re on,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CN) said in a statement. “Are they going to stand with the 90 percent of Americans who want universal background checks, or are they going to once again kowtow to the desires of the gun lobby?”
In an era where Democrats are accusing all Republicans of being extremists, racists and white supremacists, President Trump and GOP Congressional leaders are finally understanding that infringing upon the 2nd Amendment is not an option.
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