Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Sunday that he believes President Trump would sign his legislation strengthening background checks on gun purchases if the bill made it to his desk.
“I really believe he would,” Manchin told CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked if he thought Trump would sign the bill.
{mosads}When pressed by host Jake Tapper, Manchin said he believes in his “heart of hearts” that the president would sign the legislation.
Manchin is referring to a bill he pushed with Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) aimed at expanding background checks to gun shows and online sales. The legislation failed in the upper chamber in 2013, but is receiving a new push after the school shooting last month in South Florida that left 17 people dead.
Manchin also said Sunday that the bill would have passed the Senate had Trump been in office in 2013.
“If President Trump had been president in 2013, that bill would have passed,” Manchin told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
–This report was updated at 12:27 p.m.