Biden: No plans for executive order on guns

President Biden said in an interview broadcast late Wednesday that he has no plans for an executive order on guns amid an outcry for increased restrictions following several mass shootings across the U.S. 

“Can’t you issue an executive order?” host Jimmy Kimmel asked the president during Biden’s appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“Trump passed those out like Halloween candy,” Kimmel added, referring to former President Trump.

“I have issued executive orders within the power of the presidency to be able to deal with everything having to do with guns, gun ownership, whether or not you have to have a waiting period. All the things that are within my power,” Biden said. 

“I don’t want to emulate Trump’s abuse of the Constitution and constitutional authority,” Biden continued. “I mean that sincerely, because I often get asked — ‘Look, the Republicans don’t play it square, why do you play it square?’ Well, guess what? If we do the same thing they do, our democracy will literally be in jeopardy.”

His remarks came after Biden said on the show that he visited with the families of every victim in the elementary shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two adults dead at the end of last month. Earlier in May, 10 people were killed in another shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y. 

Four people were also killed at a medical building in Tulsa, Okla., recently, as mass shootings have revived public interest in increasing some gun restrictions.

Since then, the president has delivered a prime-time address on gun control, pressing Congress to ban assault-style weapons or raise the minimum age to purchase them, expand background checks and pass red flag laws and safe storage requirements.

“How much more carnage are we willing to accept?” Biden asked last week. “Let’s meet the moment. Let us finally do something.” 

“It’s about protecting our freedom to go to school, to a grocery store, to a church without being shot and killed,” Biden added.  

Updated at 8:28 a.m.