US President Donald Trump has told a group of lawmakers not to be so "petrified" of the powerful gun lobby the National Rifle Association (NRA).

During a bipartisan summit to discuss gun safety, Mr Trump urged lawmakers to come up with a comprehensive bill on gun reform.

Mr Trump suggested expanding background checks for gun buyers and raising the legal age to buy rifles to 21 from 18.

He held the meeting in the wake of a school shooting that left 17 dead.

"They have great power over you people," the president said of the NRA to his fellow Republicans on Wednesday. "They have less power over me."

"Some of you are petrified of the NRA," he added.

Mr Trump, who was endorsed by the NRA in his 2016 presidential campaign, has treaded carefully when speaking about gun reform after the 14 February school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

He met NRA leaders over the weekend after speaking to students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where an alleged gunman used an AR-15 rifle to kill 17 people, as well as other families affected by school shootings in a listening session last week.

He also discussed school safety with governors earlier this week.

Wednesday's meeting came as students at the Florida school returned to classes.


He also said he wants to ban bump stocks devices, which enable a rifle to shoot hundreds of rounds a minute.

"You won't have to worry about bump stocks," he said. Earlier this month the president signed an order pushing for a ban on the devices.

Seventeen Democrats and Republicans, some who want more gun restrictions and others who are against it, were invited by the president to the hour-long summit about potential ways to address school safety.

"It would be so beautiful to have one bill that everybody can support, as opposed to - you know - 15 bills, everybody's got their own bill," Mr Trump said on Wednesday.