Donald Trump reportedly told Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia Thursday that his bipartisan background check bill is still on the table for consideration. Manchin met with Trump for 30 minutes after he had attended a White House ceremony at which Trump awarded former NBA star and West Virginia baller Jerry West the Medal of Freedom.
Any potential movement on gun legislation hinges on Trump's support, because Republicans will need the cover to protect against backlash from the base. But Trump has repeatedly signaled support for legislation related to background checks only to back away from it immediately after hearing from the the National Rifle Association, which poured more than $30 million into Trump's election. Additionally, Trump has repeatedly left GOP lawmakers high and dry by panning their votes on legislation that he originally championed.
But the idea that Trump is actually considering backing a background check bill seems farcical to begin with. White House aides are citing internal polling showing the issue would hurt Trump with his core base of support, and Trump is deathly afraid of losing even a tiny slice of his cultists. One would think that the idea of risking just a little support in order to earn back some of the suburbanites who fled the GOP in 2018 would be enticing (i.e., expanding your appeal), but no way. Not for Trump. He needs those raucous rallies and the unwavering devotion of his cultists more than anything in the world. He's betting his entire reelection strategy on that rabid base and perhaps teasing out a small cadre of disaffected voters who haven't voted in years but want to be a part of his mayhem.
Reports say that Trump and Manchin discussed a slimmed-down background checks bill and potential "red flag" legislation, which would empower authorities to temporarily seize the firearms of those deemed by a judge to be a risk to themselves or others.
But it's nearly impossible to imagine that Trump would have the fortitude to face down the NRA, face down his base, and provide the type of steady full-court press necessary to get any sort of gun control bill through the GOP-led Senate.