This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-arming-teachers-denies-comment-florida-shooting-twitter-concealed-guns-policy-a8223171.html

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Donald Trump claims he 'never said give teachers guns' as he defends looking into concealed guns policy Donald Trump claims he 'never said give teachers guns' as he defends looking into concealed guns policy
(35 minutes later)
Donald Trump is looking at allowing "gun adept teachers with military or special training experience” to carry a concealed weapon at school, and has said he will push to raise the minimum age for buying a firearm to 21. Donald Trump has defended proposals to arm some teachers in schools and signalled he will push to raise the minimum age for buying a firearm to 21, amid calls for action to prevent shootings.
The President suggested letting about a fifth of teachers carry firearms would allow them to "immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions” and act as a deterrent to any possible shooters. The President said the White House was looking at letting “gun adept teachers with military or special training experience” carry a concealed weapon so they could ”immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions”.
His comments came amid growing calls for action following the Florida school shooting, in which 17 people were killed by a teenager with a semi-automatic weapon. He suggested arming around a fifth of school staff, which he said would also act as a deterrent to possible shooters.
The President met survivors of the 14 February massacre at the White House, telling them he would look “very strongly” at calls for educators to armed. “I will be strongly pushing Comprehensive Background Checks with an emphasis on Mental Health,” Mr Trump added on Twitter. ”Raise age to 21 and end sale of Bump Stocks! Congress is in a mood to finally do something on this issue – I hope!”
“If you had a teacher that was adept at firearms they could very well end the attack quickly,” he said His comments came amid calls for action following the Florida school shooting, in which 17 people were killed by a teenager with a semi-automatic weapon.
Mr Trump later tweeted: “I never said ‘give teachers guns’ like was stated on Fake News CNN and NBC. What I said was to look at the possibility of giving ‘concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience – only the best. 20% of teachers, a lot, would now be able to .immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions. The President met survivors of the 14 February massacre at the White House, telling them he would look “very strongly” at calls for educators to be armed.
“If you had a teacher that was adept at firearms they could very well end the attack quickly,” he said.
Mr Trump later hit out at reports of his comments in the media and clarified his stance on the issue.
He tweeted: “I never said ‘give teachers guns’ like was stated on Fake News CNN and NBC. What I said was to look at the possibility of giving ‘concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience – only the best. 20% of teachers, a lot, would now be able to .immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions.
“Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A ‘gun free’ school is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END!”“Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A ‘gun free’ school is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END!”
He added: “If a potential ‘sicko shooter’ knows that a school has a large number of very weapons talented teachers (and others) who will be instantly shooting, the sicko will NEVER attack that school. Cowards won’t go there... problem solved. Must be offensive, defense alone won’t work!”He added: “If a potential ‘sicko shooter’ knows that a school has a large number of very weapons talented teachers (and others) who will be instantly shooting, the sicko will NEVER attack that school. Cowards won’t go there... problem solved. Must be offensive, defense alone won’t work!”
Armed teachers could stop shooters before police arrive at schools, added Mr Trump.Armed teachers could stop shooters before police arrive at schools, added Mr Trump.
Speaking to pupils and parents in the White House, Mr Trump acknowledged the idea was “controversial”. Speaking to pupils and parents in the White House, Mr Trump acknowledged the idea of letting teachers carry arms in the classroom was “controversial”.
Asked for a show of hands, some of those present indicated they would be in support of the measure and others said they were against.Asked for a show of hands, some of those present indicated they would be in support of the measure and others said they were against.
More follows… A number of pupils who survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have called on Congress to introduce stricter gun controls in a bid to prevent future tragedies.
  Mr Trump last year blocked an Obama-era rule that would have prevented an estimated 75,000 people with mental disorders from buying guns. The rule was part of his Democrat predecessor's push to strengthen the federal background check system following the 2012 Newtown school shooting - the deadliest in US history.
Mr Trump aligned himself to the National Rifle Association (NRA), one of the most powerful gun-rights organisations, while running for president and received the more firearms lobby funding than any previous candidate
Following his election, the Republican told the NRA: “The eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end.”