Gun Control: Republican Candidates Blast Coming Obama Executive Orders

U.S. presidential candidates Sunday took aim at President Obama’s plans to tighten restrictions on gun ownership through an executive order, saying current laws should be enforced instead of creating new ones. In his weekly radio address, Obama said he would meet this week with Attorney General Loretta Lynch to discuss options for keeping the “dangerous few” from getting their hands on weapons.

Real estate mogul and Republican front-runner Donald Trump said instead of expanding background checks on would-be gun purchasers, the U.S. would be better off improving the mental health system.

“We have sickos all over the place,” Trump said on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” adding, “Bad guys are always going to have the guns.”

Both Trump and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina decried Obama’s liberal use of executive orders, with Trump pledging to rescind many of Obama’s actions.

“This president has been lawless in his use of executive orders, whether those executive orders are on immigration or whether those executive orders are on gun control,” Fiorina said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Fiorina refused to say flatly, however, whether she would support expanded background checks on would-be gun purchasers.

Trump said our nation is based on the executive and legislative branches negotiating to come up with laws. He said he thinks Obama has “given up on the process.”

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on “Fox News Sunday” called Obama a “petulant child” who reverts to executive orders when he can’t get what he wants from Congress.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., told “State of the Union” he would prefer bipartisan support on guns, rather than executive action.

Trump later tweeted if Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton really believes gun rights should be restricted, she should order her Secret Service protection detail to disarm.

Obama plans to host a town hall on gun control Thursday.