South Lawn

11:47 A.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President, is there any — is there any action that you can take on guns?  Or do you think it’s all up to Congress at this point?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I have gone the full extent of my executive authority to do, on my own, anything about guns.
 
Q    Will you — will you consider-
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Wait, wait, wait, wait a minute.  Wait a minute.  The Congress has to act.  The majority of the American people think having assault weapons is bizarre; it’s a crazy idea.  They’re against that.  And so, I think the Congress should be passing the assault weapons ban. 
 
I want to remind you, the last time we passed the assault weapons ban, violent shootings went down, mass shootings went down for 10 or however many years it was — 9 years.  And so-
 
Q    So what can you do?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  So I can’t do anything except plead with the Congress to act reasonably.
 
Q    Will you consider traveling to Nashville to meet with members of the community?  Will you consider traveling to Nashville to meet with members of the community?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, I’ve spoken with everyone down there, from the mayor, to the senators, to all the players.  I spoke to the chief of police today.  I’ve spoken to all of them. 
 
What I don’t want to do — I’ve been through many of these myself, as you know, all the way starting way back to the mass shootings (inaudible).
 
Thank you.
 
11:48 A.M. EDT