President Donald Trump said Friday that he supports expanding concealed carry of firearms to Washington, D.C., because "people have to be able to protect themselves."
During a wide-ranging news conference Friday afternoon, Trump was asked if he would be open to the concealed carry of guns in the nation's capital.
"They have it in some states, and they feel strongly about it," the president told reporters in the Oval Office. "As you know, I'm in favor of it. People have to protect themselves. I'm a Second Amendment person, very simply. People have to be able to protect themselves, especially in Washington.
"You walk down the street, a guy comes up and slugs you," he said. "He's got a pistol in his hand. You can be tough, you can be in great shape, you can be a powerful person, or you can be a guy that weighs 100 pounds with a gun in your hand. And I'll bet on the guy with a gun 100% of the time."
"You need protection," Trump added. "So, I'm a Second Amendment person all the way."
Introduced in the House of Representatives in January, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would require all U.S. states to recognize concealed carry permits issued by other states and allow individuals to carry concealed firearms across state lines.
As it stands today, states are not required to recognize concealed carry permits issued by other states and are not obligated to permit the concealed carry of guns from one state to another.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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