The White House announced on Tuesday afternoon that President Donald Trump has decided to take action on bump stocks, which effectively convert semiautomatic rifles into machine guns:

BREAKING: President Trump directs Justice Department to ban gun modifications like bump stocks used in Las Vegas massacre. — The Associated Press (@AP) February 20, 2018

Bump stocks were used in last year’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, but not in the Parkland shooting. And as a one reporter for The Trace pointed out on Twitter, Trump may not have the legal authority to bypass the legislative branch in this manner:

Federal law defines a machine gun as a firearm that can fire continuously with one sustained trigger pull.



Bump stocks don't do that. Specifically designed to get around the letter of that law, they allow the user to pull the trigger many times, very quickly. — Alex Yablon (@AlexYablon) February 20, 2018

Still, this is more action than his fellow Republicans in Florida appear willing to take. On Tuesday afternoon, state legislators there refused to even hear a bill that would ban assault rifles:

Florida state House votes 36-71 against motion to hear bill banning assault rifles, effectively killing the measure. https://t.co/GR3bAZGVBh — The Associated Press (@AP) February 20, 2018

They did so in front of survivors of the Parkland shooting.