Line in the sand

Donald Trump: ‘Background Checks Wouldn’t Have Stopped Any Of It’

The president told reporters that the mass shooting in Odessa, Texas, “really hasn’t changed anything’ when it comes to the gun control debate.

Donald Trump said Sunday that the deadly mass shooting in Odessa, Texas, that led to the deaths of eight people including the gunman, “really hasn’t changed anything’ about the current gun control debate among lawmakers. “I’ve been speaking to a lot of senators, a lot of house members, Republicans, Democrats—this really hasn’t changed anything, we’re doing a package and we’ll see how it comes about," Trump said before boarding Marine One helicopter to attend a meeting at FEMA headquarters. The president went on to say that stronger background checks, which is something he has mentioned after past mass shootings, would not have made a difference in this case. “Over the last five, six, or seven years, no matter how strong you need the background checks, it wouldn’t have stopped any of it,” he said.