The push for expanding background checks received a minimal albeit unexpected boost this afternoon from former Arkansas congressman (and current Arkansas gubernatorial candidate) Asa Hutchinson, who was recently appointed by the NRA to lead its task force on putting armed guards into schools. “Absolutely, I’m open to expanding background checks,” Hutchison told Wolf Blitzer’s beard today. “You can do it in a way that does not infringe upon an individual and make it hard for an individual to transfer to a friend or a neighbor.”
It’s not exactly clear what Hutchsinson thinks “making it hard” would entail; background checks on private sales would make it hard if the gun’s would-be recipient is not legally allowed to own a gun. That’s the whole point. Still, Hutchinson’s qualified support for expanding background checks was enough to elicit a quick response from the NRA, which said that Hutchsinson was “not speaking” on its behalf.
