Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Wednesday that while Congress banning AR-15 assault rifles is unlikely, banning bump stocks is a "no brainer."
"The mindset change right now — we're seeing a movement we've never seen before, we're seeing it from children," Manchin said on "CBS This Morning," referring to gun control activists who have mobilized in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
"People are speaking out, they want common sense, they want things that make common sense."
Manchin harkened back to the bill he co-sponsored in the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. However, he expressed doubts about whether any legislation could pass a Republican-controlled Congress without President Donald Trump's backing.
"Here's the thing: Republicans control the House, they control the Senate and the White House, the political reality that we're living in today is, if President Trump does not get behind something, they won't have the cover they think or feel comfortable with as far as voting," he said.
Manchin added that a bump stock ban, which Trump recently signaled his support for, is a "no brainer."
"There's so many things that can be done, it just makes sense, why we're not doing anything doesn't make sense," he said before addressing a potential ban on AR-15s, like the one used in the Florida shooting.
"That's a tough one there, but there's not enough votes to do away with that, that's political reality we're dealing with," he said.
During an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Wednesday, the senator avoided giving a direct answer when asked if he supported banning the AR-15.
"I don't own an AR-15, nor do I have a need to buy one," Manchin said. "I have a lot of friends that do own them. And they, basically, are not committing crimes. They bought them because they could."
"The market is going to change," he continued. "They are sold now legally. I'm not going to weigh in on that. I don't have a desire to buy one. I don't own one."
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