In a Tuesday morning tweet, President Donald Trump expressed disapproval toward the concept of homemade 3-D printed guns.
It’s an interesting about-face. The Trump Administration recently settled a case involving the weapons, which — in essence — will allow their proliferation. The New York Attorney General joined the attorneys general of several states to attack the Trump Administration’s move:
Plans for several homemade weapons are available online. Initially, the government attempted to stop their proliferation. The plans can be programmed into a 3-D printer. The printer, which can be located pretty much anywhere, can create a weapon out of plastic which actually works. Critics say the weapons cannot be traced or detected by regular metal detectors.
Of course, Trump’s disapproval of the weapons appears tied to the disapproval of the NRA. Several were quick to pounce on the connection:
A 2015 CNN analysis questioned how much money the gun industry actually pours into the NRA. It noted that “much of” the NRA’s cash intake “comes from everyday Americans.” Though “[s]ome political funding comes from big corporations . . . companies are barred from donating to the NRA’s political action committee.”
Still, the usual chorus joined in:
[Image via Robert MacPherson/AFP/Getty Images.]