Ivanka Trump is reportedly pushing Trump toward gun control. Donald Trump Jr. is fighting back.
In one corner, we have Ivanka Trump and Attorney General William Barr. And in the other, we have Donald Trump Jr.
These are the two sides warring for Trump's favor in an ongoing debate over gun restrictions, Politico reports. Ivanka Trump's faction is reportedly looking for increased restrictions on gun sales and stronger background checks, while Donald Trump Jr.'s is warning him against it — but neither side seems to have curried the president's favor just yet.
As more and more mass shootings make headlines, and as gun violence continues to be an epidemic across the U.S., two sides have formed in the White House. Ivanka Trump and Attorney General William Barr both insist Trump can institute "expanded background checks for gun sales" and "win back moderate suburban voters in the process," people involved in the discussions tell Politico. Donald Trump Jr., along with a top aide to acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, meanwhile say Trump will lose his conservative base if he "pushes too aggressively on new gun control legislation," Politico reports. It has all amounted in absolute gridlock within the White House, with Trump reportedly staying mum on what side he prefers.
White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley called the story "ridiculous," and said "we are completely united in developing ... meaningful solutions that will protect the Second Amendment, make American communities safer and potentially prevent these types of tragedies from ever occurring again." Read more at Politico.