Donald Trump has always been a wild card, but in the last several days he's shown his party members in Republicans in Congress that they no longer can count on his support for gun rights. This week, as written in a CNN article on a recent bi-partisan meeting between Trump and Congressmen, Donald Trump voiced what was quite clearly a favorable view of certain gun control legislation. This is something no sitting congressional majority would have considered just over a year ago; the fact that a far-right Republican president would openly voice support of any gun control seems outrageous-- but if Donald Trump is one thing it is outrageous. So the question becomes what does this mean? Will change finally happen in gun laws? Or is this simply a repeat of DACA, or something else entirely?
I will be the first to admit, that despite my own political views on Donald Trump, the news that he had spoken in favor of restricting gun access was unexpected but relieving. My immediate afterthought was what if this is like DACA? As many people may or may not remember, Trump spoke in favor of DACA, before promptly changing his tune and putting them into a limbo that has yet to end. So perhaps Trump has no intention of changing gun laws. Or perhaps he never intended to do more than inspire a moment of hopefulness in people who doubt his abilities; we all know speaking about gun control is far easier than changing it. And Trump would not be alone in doing it-- most of Congress does the same each time the conversation is breached.
Or maybe, he simply didn't realize the impact of what he was saying; in a recent Fox News article, an NRA spokesman claimed that Trump had no intention of creating gun control legislation after an interview with a lobbyist. It is possible, that given the history of this presidency, Trump simply stated his claim only to later refute it based on common belief within his party.
Nothing, however, can be said with any certainty. I would love for Donald Trump to prove me wrong; I truly hope he does. But given the history of this presidency, change cannot be expected until a bill or executive order is signed. If Trump defies his party and alters gun control legislation, he will alter the very meaning of what it means to call yourself a Republican. But until that happens, it is just another day in the haze of the Trump administration.