Donald Trump appeared to make a sharp U-turn on gun control measures yesterday after coming under heavy pressure from the National Rifle Association.

The US president met America's biggest gun lobby less than a day after stunning fellow Republicans by indicating his support for a raft of Democrat-inspired measures.

Those measures included confiscation of weapons without due process in court, tighter background checks, discussion of a possible assault weapons ban, and raising the minimum age for buying semi-automatics from 18 to 21.

Mr Trump subsequently met NRA officials at the White House, along with vice president Mike Pence.

He then wrote on Twitter: "Good (Great) meeting in the Oval Office tonight with the NRA!"