White House: Trump Is "Supportive" Of Efforts To Improve Background Checks For Gun Purchases

The White House has announced Donald Trump "is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system" in the aftermath of the Florida shooting last week which left 17 dead and dozens injured.

Via CNN:

Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said in a statement on Monday that Trump spoke with Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, on Friday about a bill he introduced with Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, that aims to strengthen how state and federal governments report offenses that could prohibit people from buying a gun.

"While discussions are ongoing and revisions are being considered, the President is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system," Shah said. Students, teachers and lawmakers have urged Trump and other Republican lawmakers to take action on guns in the wake of the Parkland, Florida, shooting.

Trump, however, ran for president as a pro-gun candidate and tied himself to the National Rifle Association throughout the campaign. The White House didn't vigorously push the Cornyn-Murphy bill when it was introduced, and the President also said he was open to banning bump stocks, devices that enable rifles to fire more rapidly, in the wake of last fall's Las Vegas shooting -- but there hasn't been significant further action by the White House on that front, either.

To date, the only action taken by Donald Trump on the issue of guns was to roll back regulations that made it more difficult for those with mental health problems to get firearms.