WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump said Wednesday that it has become "much harder" to reach a deal with Democrats on gun legislation, blaming an emphatic call by former Congressman Beto O'Rourke of Texas for a mandatory buyback program for assault-style weapons.
O'Rourke at last week's Democratic presidential debate in Houston spoke about a need for gun control in the wake of recent mass shootings. "Hell, yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47," he said, referring to his support for mandatory gun buybacks.
"Dummy Beto made it much harder to make a deal. Convinced many that Dems just want to take your guns away," Trump said on Twitter, adding: "Will continue forward!"
His tweet comes as Congress waits for Trump to announce what gun-related proposals he would support after a spate of mass shootings, including back-to-back shootings last month in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday that Congress remains "in a holding pattern" while awaiting guidance from the White House.
"I'm still waiting for guidance from the White House about what [Trump] is comfortable signing ... and hopefully making some progress," McConnell said.
After last week's debate, O'Rourke said that his buyback plan would be "not voluntary."
Republicans seized on O'Rourke's comments, using them to broadly paint Democrats as overly eager to confiscate firearms, while some Democrats suggested the remarks were not helpful in persuading Republicans to embrace more modest changes, such as expanding background checks for gun purchasers.
O'Rourke responded to Trump on Twitter later Wednesday, accusing the president of cowardice.
"To be clear: We will buy back every single assault weapon," he wrote. "We'll also license every gun & do a background check on every buyer. That's what the American people want -- and deserve. The only thing stopping us from ending this epidemic is you & your cowardice. Do the right thing."
O'Rourke also reacted on Twitter to a report that Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., had said other Democrats do not agree with O'Rourke on a mandatory buyback program.
"The party is with us, the country is with us," O'Rourke tweeted. "Now it's time for Democrats to lead."
O'Rourke's critics have included South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a Democratic presidential rival.
Asked on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday whether O'Rourke's blunt comment was "playing into the hands of Republicans," Buttigieg said: "Yes."
"When even this president and even Mitch McConnell are at least pretending to be open to reforms, we know that we have a moment on our hands," Buttigieg said. "Let's make the most of it and get these things done."
O'Rourke responded on Twitter, saying what McConnell and Trump might be interested in "is not enough."
"Neither is poll-testing your message," O'Rourke wrote. "Gun violence is a life-or-death issue -- and we have to represent the bold ideas of people all over the country."
Meanwhile, Attorney General William Barr is circulating a proposal to senators on expanding background checks for firearms purchases.
Sen. Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican and supporter of closing some loopholes in the background check system, said he spoke to Barr about it late Tuesday.
Barr "has developed an idea that has a lot of merit and is a very thoughtful contribution to this whole conversation," Toomey said. "There are a lot of details that we still need to flesh out. But it's a very constructive addition."
Eric Ueland, the White House's top lobbyist, said the proposal shouldn't be seen as an endorsement by Trump for a particular approach but is part of a broader effort to reach out to lawmakers for their ideas.
"The president has asked us to talk and listen to prospective views, opinions, ideas and concepts from members of Congress and that's what we continue to do," Ueland said.
He declined to say who wrote the proposal and what type of feedback the administration is getting about it. Asked when Trump will decide what he'll support, Ueland said, "It's the president's call."
Information for this article was contributed by John Wagner of The Washington Post; and by Laura Litvan, Steven T. Dennis and Josh Wingrove of Bloomberg News.
A Section on 09/19/2019