Only a couple days after hailing the President for siding with Democrats on gun restrictions, on Friday morning, the broadcast networks feared that Trump may be taking an “about face” on the issue after a “secret” “late-night meeting” with officials from the National Rifle Association. The disappointment of the liberal media was palpable as anchors and correspondents bemoaned the development.
“About-face? A late-night meeting behind closed doors between President Trump and the NRA. Did the President change his mind about new gun control ideas he had supported?,” worried co-host Savannah Guthrie at the top of NBC’s Today show. Teeing up the story minutes later, fellow co-host Hoda Kotb fretted: “President Trump has pushed publicly for tougher new gun laws this week, but after a late-night meeting with the NRA, could that all be changing?”
Correspondent Peter Alexander lamented:
Barely 24 hours after President Trump stunned lawmakers from both parties by publicly embracing several strict measures to limit access to guns, the NRA is now disputing that’s where the President stands....Overnight, the President tweeting, “Great meeting in the Oval Office tonight with the NRA!” But the White House not putting out any other information about what was discussed or promised.
Leading off ABC’s Good Morning America, co-host George Stephanopoulos warned: “Changing course. President Trump meets with the NRA late last night. The group’s top lobbyist tweets that Trump now does not want gun control, just a day after that stunning bipartisan meeting.”
Introducing a report minutes later, his hand-wringing continued: “President Trump held a late-night meeting with the National Rifle Association. The group’s top lobbyist then tweeted that the President does not want gun control. Just a day after the President told bipartisan lawmakers he wanted comprehensive new legislation.”
Correspondent Jon Karl was exasperated: “At this point, it’s anybody’s guess where the President stands on guns and school safety, all part of a topsy-turvy couple of days here at the White House...” The reporter declared: “A day after shocking his closest allies by seeming to embrace new gun measures, President Trump revealed his secret meeting last night with the NRA’s top lobbyist, tweeting, ‘It was a Good (Great) meeting in the Oval Office.’”
How exactly can a meeting that everyone is talking about be a “secret”?
“Just a day earlier, the President met with lawmakers in the White House and called for action on multiple gun measures opposed by the NRA. Telling the group they shouldn’t be afraid to take the NRA on,” Karl reminded viewers.
Returning to the story at the top of the 8:00 a.m. ET hour, Stephanopoulos described “confusion” at the White House over the President’s position and fretted to Karl that gun restrictions may not happen: “Jon, as you know, if the President is not clear, is not leading with a clear package, unlikely that anything’s gonna get through this Congress.” Karl agreed: “No way any of it happens unless he forces it through.”
“The NRA’s chief lobbyist says President Trump doesn’t want new gun control after a late-night Oval Office meeting,” proclaimed co-host John Dickerson at the start of CBS This Morning.
Minutes later, fellow co-host Gayle King portrayed the change as a sign of a White House in turmoil: “Well, it’s been a chaotic week at the White House and it’s ending with more mixed signals on major policy issues. The NRA suggested overnight that President Trump may now be walking back his comments about stricter gun laws.”
Correspondent Major Garrett explained:
President Trump’s position on gun control has been evolving, and evolving in public, leaning in toward gun restrictions earlier this week. And then, last night, something of an intervention as top officials of the National Rifle Association met here at the White House with the President. Subsequent tweets then indicated both sides were back on the same page.
After noting that Trump “gave gun control advocates hope” during a bipartisan White House meeting on Wednesday, Garrett concluded: “But last night, the NRA said Mr. Trump wanted the opposite.”
At the top of the 8:00 a.m. ET hour anti-gun co-host Alex Wagner lectured:
President Trump may be backing off a pledge to tighten gun safety laws. In a tweet, the President says he had a “great” Oval Office meeting last night with the NRA’s chief lobbyist Chris Cox....That was not Mr. Trump’s message earlier this week, when he challenged lawmakers to defy the NRA and “get tough” in disarming people thought to be dangerous....The group reportedly gave $31 million to the 2016 Trump campaign.
Just 24 hours earlier, Wagner was overjoyed at Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein “clapping her hands with glee” during Wednesday’s White House meeting at the prospect of new gun regulations.
When the media thought Trump was on the verge of selling out gun rights supporters they were giddy. After the President reaffirmed his commitment to Second Amendment Thursday night, the press suddenly became much more negative in their coverage.
Here are transcript of the March 2 reporting on the NBC, ABC, and CBS broadcasts:
Today
7:11 AM ETHODA KOTB: Also on this busy Friday morning, some headline-making developments in the heated debate over guns. President Trump has pushed publicly for tougher new gun laws this week, but after a late-night meeting with the NRA, could that all be changing? NBC National Correspondent Peter Alexander is at the White House with this story. Hey, Peter, good morning.
PETER ALEXANDER: Hey, Hoda, good morning to you. Barely 24 hours after President Trump stunned lawmakers from both parties by publicly embracing several strict measures to limit access to guns, the NRA is now disputing that’s where the President stands. After that late-night powwow with the President right here at the White House.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Trump & Pence “Don’t Want Gun Control”; NRA Official Tweets After White House Meeting]
President Trump and Vice President Pence holding a late-night meeting at the White House with a top NRA lobbyist. Overnight, the President tweeting, “Great meeting in the Oval Office tonight with the NRA!” But the White House not putting out any other information about what was discussed or promised.
The third man in the room, the NRA’s Chris Cox, also tweeting, “We all want safe schools, mental health reform, and to keep guns away from dangerous people. But adding that Trump and Pence “support the Second Amendment, support strong due process, and don’t want gun control.” That and a apparent attempt to put a different spin on the President’s words from one day earlier, when he indicated he supported confiscating firearms from those deemed a danger to society.
DONALD TRUMP: Take the guns first, go through due process second.
(...)
Good Morning America
7:08 AM ETGEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay, we’re going to go to the White House now, Robin, where President Trump held a late-night meeting with the National Rifle Association. The group’s top lobbyist then tweeted that the President does not want gun control. Just a day after the President told bipartisan lawmakers he wanted comprehensive new legislation. Our chief White House correspondent Jon Karl has the latest. Good morning, Jon.
JON KARL: Good morning, George. At this point, it’s anybody’s guess where the President stands on guns and school safety, all part of a topsy-turvy couple of days here at the White House, where the President also rattled financial markets with an announcement that caught his own economic team by surprise.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Trump’s Surprise Meeting With NRA; Has President Changed Tune Again on Gun Control?]
A day after shocking his closest allies by seeming to embrace new gun measures, President Trump revealed his secret meeting last night with the NRA’s top lobbyist, tweeting, “It was a Good (Great) meeting in the Oval Office.” The NRA’s Chris Cox, who met with Trump and Vice President Pence, suggested the President may have once again changed his tone on gun control. “POTUS and VPOTUS support the Second Amendment, support strong due process, and don’t want gun control.”
Just a day earlier, the President met with lawmakers in the White House and called for action on multiple gun measures opposed by the NRA. Telling the group they shouldn’t be afraid to take the NRA on.
DONALD TRUMP: Some of you people are petrified of the NRA. You can’t be petrified.
KARL: One thing he embraced, taking guns away from people considered a threat, even without a hearing.
TRUMP: I like taking the guns early. Take the guns first, go through due possess second.
KARL: That put the President at odds with the NRA and his Republican base.
SEN. JOHN KENNEDY [R-LA]: I still support him, but he and I are just gonna have to disagree on this idea of due process.
(...)
7:30 AM ET
STEPHANOPOULOS: Also right now, new questions about where President Trump stands on gun control after he held a late-night meeting with the NRA last night. The group’s top lobbyist tweeted that the President does not want gun control. That comes just a day after the President held that bipartisan meeting with lawmakers where he seemed to back a comprehensive gun control package.
(...)
8:04 AM ET
STEPHANOPOULOS: We’re going to got to the White House right now, some confusion there. The President had a late-night meeting with the NRA. The NRA came out of the meeting saying the president does not support gun control. Of course that’s a flip from just 24 hours before, where the President met with bipartisan lawmakers, said he was for comprehensive gun control. Want to get the latest from our Chief White House Correspondent Jon Karl.
JON KARL: George, it’s not exactly clear where the President stands on the gun issue right now. He did, as you mention, shock the NRA and Republicans in Congress by coming out and suggesting that he supports multiple gun measures that the NRA has opposed for years. In announcing this meeting, though, the President said, quote, “Good, (Great) meeting in the Oval Office tonight with the NRA!”
And the NRA’s top lobbyist, who he met with, Chris Cox, described the meeting this way, “I had a great meeting tonight with Donald Trump and the VP. POTUS and VPOTUS support the Second Amendment, support strong due process, and don’t want gun control.”
So where does the President stand right now? Well, I just a few moments ago spoke with Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the press secretary. She suggested that perhaps he doesn’t support universal background checks, just supporting the background check system. That would be a change from what he said earlier this week. And as for raising the age for the purchase of assault weapons, she said the President still supports that conceptually, but thinks it might be a better issue handled by the states. That is a change too, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And, Jon, as you know, if the President is not clear, is not leading with a clear package, unlikely that anything’s gonna get through this Congress.
KARL: No way any of it happens unless he forces it through. And even with his support, that’s an open question whether or not it will pass.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Jon Karl, thanks very much.
CBS This Morning
7:09 AM ETGAYLE KING: Well, it’s been a chaotic week at the White House and it’s ending with more mixed signals on major policy issues. The NRA suggested overnight that President Trump may now be walking back his comments about stricter gun laws. Those remarks left Republicans reeling yesterday. Many were also stunned by the President’s surprise announcement on steel and aluminum tariffs, which then sent global stock markets tumbling. Major Garrett is in the White House now with the latest on all of these stories. Major, good morning.
MAJOR GARRETT: Good morning. President Trump’s position on gun control has been evolving, and evolving in public, leaning in toward gun restrictions earlier this week. And then, last night, something of an intervention as top officials of the National Rifle Association met here at the White House with the President. Subsequent tweets then indicated both sides were back on the same page.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: West Wing Chaos; NRA Claims President Doesn’t Want “Gun Control” After Meeting]
President Trump gave gun control advocates hope when he said this on Wednesday.
DONALD TRUMP: You have to look at the age of 21 for certain types of weapons. Take the guns first, go through due process second.
GARRETT: But last night, the NRA said Mr. Trump wanted the opposite. Following an Oval Office meeting, NRA executive lobbyist Chris Cox tweeted that Mr. Trump and Vice President Pence, quote, “Support strong due process and don’t want gun control.” An hour later, Mr. Trump tweeted that the meeting went “great.”
(...)
8:03 AM ET
ALEX WAGNER: President Trump may be backing off a pledge to tighten gun safety laws. In a tweet, the President says he had a “great” Oval Office meeting last night with the NRA’s chief lobbyist Chris Cox. But Cox tweeted that the President and Vice President, quote, “support the Second Amendment, support strong due process, and don’t want gun control.”
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Gun Control Confusion; POTUS’ Meeting With NRA Muddies Gun Control Debate]
WAGNER: That was not Mr. Trump’s message earlier this week, when he challenged lawmakers to defy the NRA and “get tough” in disarming people thought to be dangerous.
TRUMP: Don’t worry about the NRA, they’re on our side. You guys, half of you are so afraid of the NRA. There’s nothing to be afraid of. And you know what? If they’re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while, that’s okay.
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: The President still supports raising the age limit to 21 for the purchase of certain firearms. He knows that everybody doesn’t necessarily agree.
SEN. PAT TOOMEY [R-PA]: We didn’t address it, Mr. President. Look, I think we –
TRUMP: You know why? Because you’re afraid of the NRA. They have great power over you people. They have less power over me. Take the guns first, go through due process second.
WAGNER: And this morning, the White House Press Secretary said the NRA does not have concerns with the President. The group reportedly gave $31 million to the 2016 Trump campaign.
