President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he would be willing to talk with any Republican who wants to offer an apology over the 2012 shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, but he did not specify which party.
Obama was asked whether he would offer an offer to Republicans who would accept his apology for not speaking out more forcefully against gun violence and gun control in response to the mass shooting at a Navy Yard in Washington last month.
“Well, I think it’s important for me to make sure that this is not an isolated incident.
I think we have to be clear about what happened in the last year, because we’ve seen in other places that the same thing happens,” Obama said.
“There’s been mass shootings.
And I think that it’s imperative for us to make certain that there’s not another mass shooting that happens in this country.”
Obama also addressed the controversy over a video he released on Friday in which he suggested that gun violence can be prevented by gun control laws.
In the video, which was released by the Washington Post, Obama said that the solution to gun violence is for people to simply have more guns.
“I believe that the gun lobby and their supporters have got to be held accountable,” Obama added.
“They’ve got to do more to try to persuade us that there are things that can be done about gun violence, but we also have to do something about it.
And if there’s any American in that room with us, I am going to hand him the burden of proof.”
Obama said he was “saddened” by the shootings that occurred at the Navy Yard on Saturday.
He said that a lot of people were there because of what happened at the school, and he did say he had some thoughts about the NRA’s decision to oppose him for president in 2016.
“And I think there is a moral imperative for the NRA to stand up for gun owners in this day and age,” Obama told the White House Correspondents Association dinner.
“We all want to make our communities safer, but in this age of mass shootings, we also need to recognize that we have a moral obligation to do everything we can to protect people.”
Obama, who is in Asia, has also been criticized for not offering more forceful answers about gun control, and for his reluctance to call for tougher gun laws.
The NRA said Tuesday it was “deeply disappointed” by Obama’s remarks.
“President Obama’s statement on gun violence in America is wrong.
He must immediately rescind his call for new gun control and instead support common-sense reforms to reduce gun violence,” NRA-ILA Executive Director Wayne LaPierre said in a statement.”
The NRA will continue to oppose gun control measures, including the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which we believe is an ineffective, costly, and ineffective deterrent.
And President Obama should call for more robust gun safety reforms that include background checks for all gun purchases and closing the so-called gun show loophole.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
