In his quest to tackle gun violence, President Donald Trump has alternated between calling for tougher laws and declaring his fealty to the Second Amendment's right to bear arms, leaving a trail of befuddled legislators and advocates in his wake.
One thing he still has not done: clearly outline his legislative priorities.
Washington's week closed on Friday without further explanation from the president, the White House indicating that for now, he is backing an incremental proposal on background checks and a bill that would provide new federal dollars to stem school violence.
Just what Trump would like to see in the "beautiful" and "comprehensive" bill he called for earlier in the week remained unclear. That comment came at a bipartisan meeting with lawmakers on Wednesday, which was quickly followed by a private session with the National Rifle Association on Thursday.
"Good (Great) meeting in the Oval Office tonight with the NRA!" Trump tweeted on Thursday night.
He had outlined some of his preferences via Twitter earlier on Thursday, saying that both good and bad ideas had come out of the bipartisan meeting. He said: "Background Checks a big part of conversation. Gun free zones are proven targets of killers. After many years, a Bill should emerge. Respect 2nd Amendment!"
Amid the confusion, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has shelved the gun debate for now, saying the Senate will turn next week to other measures.
Disagreement continues among legislators over the appropriate response after the Florida school shooting that left 17 dead. Republicans have largely backed away from stricter gun limits, while Democrats emboldened by Trump's rhetoric are pushing for ambitious action, including expanded background checks and even a politically risky ban on assault weapons.
As is often the case, the president has been an unreliable negotiator.
After Republican anxiety about Trump's comments seeming to express openness to tougher gun controls, the executive director of the NRA, Chris Cox was positive about their Thursday night meeting. He tweeted that Trump and Vice President Mike Pence "support the Second Amendment, support strong due process and don't want gun control".
As part of Trump's efforts to consider various responses to gun violence, he plans to host members of the video game industry this coming week. He has repeatedly referenced the violence in movies and video games during conversations about guns and school safety since the Florida shooting.
