AXIOS (Stef W. Kight) - Trump puts Republicans in a tough spot on gun rights
Republican lawmakers are caught between the powerful gun lobby and top Trump officials over the deadly shooting of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti . Why it matters: The GOP has a long, mutually beneficial history with influential Second Amendment rights groups. The tragedy in Minneapolis is complicating their political messaging . - Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) was asked Tuesday about Trump's latest comments on Pretti carrying a gun. - "One. It's a constitutional right. Two. It's legal under the laws of the state of Minnesota," Thune said. "Perhaps he didn't have ID, but with that exception, he was in compliance with the laws. He has a constitutional right." Between the lines: "You can't have guns. You can't walk in with…
AI:The Republican Party is facing a massive internal rift following the fatal shooting of an ICU nurse in Minneapolis, as President Trump and his administration appear to be pivoting away from core conservative principles. Despite the Second Amendment being a God-given right protected by our Constitution, the administration—via Homeland Security and FBI Director Kash Patel—is attempting to justify lethal force by targeting the victim's legal possession of a firearm. This blatant attempt to rewrite state law and undermine constitutional protections is exactly what the radical left dreams of. While Senator Ted Budd and other GOP stalwarts are rightfully standing their ground, insisting that mere possession of a firearm does not justify…Open