Kinzinger: Raising Firearms Purchase Age to 21 'Makes Sense'

Rep. Adam Kinzinger said Thursday he owns an AR-15 weapon, but he agrees that the federal age to buy them and other firearms should be raised to 21.

He also told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program that banning bump stock devices and fixing the national background check system would have also helped mitigate or even stop the nation's last three mass shootings.

"Number one, banning of the bump stocks, a no-brainer frankly," he said. "That would have mitigated, not necessarily stopped, but mitigated Las Vegas. Raising the age to 21 and fixing the background check system, both would have fixed Texas and Florida. If you fix that, this guy might have been flagged in Florida. At least if it's 21, you mitigate. He might have gotten other guns, but it's helpful."

However, he wouldn't ban the sales of assault-style weapons.

"I own an AR-15," Kinzinger, a military veteran, said. "I shoot a lot of rounds through it when I shoot every year. I enjoy doing it. You can trust me with an AR-15. I do think raising the age makes a lot of sense. If you can't drink a beer until you're 21 years old, I think you probably shouldn't be able to buy an AR-15 either."

Meanwhile, he said he does take President Donald Trump's comments on gun control seriously, but cautioned about overanalyzing everything the "unique" president says.

"I've met with him three different times in the Oval Office or the White House," said Kinzinger. "He has a sense of humor that a lot of times people don't read in his comments. In the way he says things you realize he's kind of being funny or joking. I don't think that's the case in the gun issue."

Kinzinger also said he supports the background check bill proposed by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-WV, and Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania.

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