Sen. Chris Coons Monday made a direct appeal to President Donald Trump to take action on expanding background check legislation, saying he has the opportunity to act as a leader.
"President Trump, if you are watching, you have an opportunity here to genuinely lead our nation, by expanding background checks, making a difference in terms of extreme risk protection orders," the Delaware Democrat said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends," which the president has been known to watch frequently.
"I don't think the president should miss this opportunity to say 'here's what I will support,'" and frankly, with (Senate Majority Leader Mitch) Mcconnell and Republicans and Democrats working together in the Senate, we can make a difference that will save lives," said Coons.
Coons noted that Republican Sen. Rick Scott was still governor of Florida last year after the Parkland school shootings, he signed an extensive gun control bill.
Or, said Coons, there is the bill he and Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn., have written to make sure law enforcement is notified if a felon lies during a background check while trying to buy a gun.
"There is a whole range of things," Coons said.
Meanwhile, he did not criticize Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke for his debate comment that the party would take AR-15s and AK-47s from gun owners.
“I will respect and understand how Beto O’Rourke has huge passion" after his hometown, El Paso, Texas, was stunned by a mass shooter in August.
Coons Monday also said officials should strengthen what kind of information is saved in the national backgrounds check system, in response that the shooter in Dayton in August had threatened violence while he was still in high school.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.