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Trump Says He Advocates Arming Only Teachers With Special Training Trump Says He Advocates Arming Only Teachers With Special Training
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — President Trump took to Twitter on Thursday morning to say that he does not want to give teachers guns to fight deadly mass shootings at schools. He explained that he wants to give “concealed guns” to teachers with “military or special training experience.” WASHINGTON — President Trump took to Twitter on Thursday morning to say that he does not want to give teachers guns to fight deadly mass shootings at schools. He explained that he wants to give “concealed guns” to teachers with “military or special training experience,” and restated his policy agenda for school safety ahead of a meeting with state and local officials later in the day.
“ATTACKS WOULD END,” Mr. Trump said. “A ‘gun free’ school is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END,” Mr. Trump said.
In a pair of Twitter posts, Mr. Trump said he was clarifying news reports that said he wanted to arm teachers, a proposal that has been met with skepticism and rejection. In a series of Twitter posts, Mr. Trump said he was clarifying news reports that said he wanted to arm teachers, a proposal that has been met with skepticism and rejection. The president also said he wants to improve background checks for firearms purchases, raise the age of people who are permitted to buy assault rifles to 21 from 18 and ban equipment that can turn a semiautomatic rifle into an automatic one.
The president met on Wednesday with survivors of school shootings and family members of victims, and faced emotional pleas to do something to stop the violence. Last week, a gunman opened fire with an AR-15-style assault rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where he killed 17 people. The shooting revived the gun control debate, and high school students joined the lobbying efforts for new gun restrictions. “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,” Mr. Trump said.
The president’s comments came a week after a gunman opened fire with an AR-15-style assault rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where he killed 17 people. The shooting revived the gun control debate, and high school students joined the lobbying efforts for new gun restrictions.
Mr. Trump, who campaigned with the support of the National Rifle Association and has been an advocate of gun rights, is facing resistance from the powerful lobbying group on raising the minimum age to purchase assault rifles.
The president met on Wednesday with survivors of school shootings and family members of victims, and faced emotional pleas to do something to stop the violence.
During the White House event on Wednesday, Mr. Trump offered his ideas, including arming teachers and other school employees.During the White House event on Wednesday, Mr. Trump offered his ideas, including arming teachers and other school employees.
“It only works where you have people very adept at using firearms, of which you have many, and it would be teachers and coaches,” he said.“It only works where you have people very adept at using firearms, of which you have many, and it would be teachers and coaches,” he said.
“The coach had a firearm in his locker when he ran at this guy — that coach was very brave. Saved a lot of lives, I suspect,” Mr. Trump said, apparently referring to Aaron Feis, a coach at Stoneman Douglas who survivors say died while shielding students from gunfire. "But if he had a firearm, he wouldn’t have had to run, he would have shot and that would have been the end of it.”“The coach had a firearm in his locker when he ran at this guy — that coach was very brave. Saved a lot of lives, I suspect,” Mr. Trump said, apparently referring to Aaron Feis, a coach at Stoneman Douglas who survivors say died while shielding students from gunfire. "But if he had a firearm, he wouldn’t have had to run, he would have shot and that would have been the end of it.”
Mr. Trump campaigned with the support of the National Rifle Association and has been an avid supporter of gun rights. He is scheduled to meet with state and local officials to discuss school safety later Thursday morning. Arming teachers is not a new concept. The N.R.A. advocated for this in the wake of the 2012 mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 children dead.
The president also expressed confidence that Congress would agree on and pass gun safety legislation, although it has been an impossible feat in recent years.