President Joe Biden has blamed the National Rifle Association (NRA) intimidation for his administration's failure to introduce gun legislation in response to a spate of mass shootings across the US in recent weeks.
Biden said he would not use executive orders to introduce gun control legislation to avoid former President Donald Trump's "abuse of the Constitution," while on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC on Wednesday night.
Biden also said Republican lawmakers would face threats of a primary challenge if they supported "rational" gun policies".
When Kimmel pointed out that there have already been 27 shootings at schools in 2022, Biden said his administration had not introduced gun control legislation due to "intimidation by the NRA".
"This is not your father's Republican Party. This is a MAGA party. It's a very different Republican Party," Biden told Kimmel.
"You find people worried, I believe, that if they vote for rational gun policy they're gonna be primaried."
During the 20-minute interview, Kimmel pleaded with Biden to "start yelling at people" and take a tougher stance against his opponents, whilst also begging him to use his executive authority.
Kimmel said that Trump had handed out executive orders "like Halloween candy", but Biden refused to emulate the behavior of his predecessor.
"I don't want to emulate Trump's abuse of the Constitution and constitutional authority," Biden said, adding that democracy would be in jeopardy if he did the "same thing" as Trump.
However, Biden said his administration was "looking into" using executive orders for abortion access but said the best solutions would be through legislation and elections.
Biden said there would be a "mini-revolution" if the Supreme Court overturns Roe V. Wade, adding that a lot of people would be voted out of office.
The President told Kimmel that he was placing his faith in the younger generations, stating that young people are the "best-educated, least prejudiced, and most giving generation in American history".
"This generation is going to change everything. 'We just have to make sure we don't give up."
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