WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has phoned Sen. Pat Toomey to express support for his proposal on background checks for gun purchases. Toomey and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia wrote bipartisan legislation on the subject and Trump appears to consider it the main bill Congress should build on.

  

Toomey told The Associated Press on Thursday that Trump "continues to be very interested in supporting and working with us," with the Manchin-Toomey bill as "the core legislative vehicle."

  

Trump scolded Toomey on Wednesday, singling out one of the leading Republicans willing to consider stricter gun policy as being "afraid" of the National Rifle Association.

  

Toomey said Thursday his message to Trump was that "we will need the president's help to grow the vote in both the House and Senate."

  

The bill would broaden background checks to include pre-purchase reviews for online and gun show sales. It failed in the Senate after the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut.