Washington: The head of America's powerful gun lobby on Thursday dismissed calls for tougher restrictions on firearms, saying they would not have stopped the weekend mass shootings in Texas and Ohio. National Rifle Association head Wayne LaPierre implied that he had spoken to President Donald Trump since the back-to-back massacres that left 31 dead.

"I'm not inclined to discuss private conversations with President Trump or other key leaders on this issue," LaPierre said in a statement. "But I can confirm that the NRA opposes any legislation that unfairly infringes upon the rights of law-abiding citizens. The inconvenient truth is this: the proposals being discussed by many would not have prevented the horrific tragedies in El Paso and Dayton."