President Donald Trump sounded off on Twitter Thursday to try to explain his suggestion that arming teachers would help stop school shooting massacres.
But the tweets turned into an all-out rant, where he attacked the media and claimed that he only suggested giving “concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience,” not handing out weapons to all teachers.
He said that 20 percent of teachers — “a lot” — would be able to “immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions.” He then claimed that “gun free” schools are “a magnet for bad people” and said “ATTACKS WOULD END!” if “highly trained, gun adept” school staff had concealed weapons.
“GREAT DETERRENT!” he said.
“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,” he continued. “Cowards won’t go there … problem solved.”
I never said “give teachers guns” like was stated on Fake News @CNN & @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
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018
….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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018
….History shows that a school shooting lasts, on average, 3 minutes. It takes police & first responders approximately 5 to 8 minutes to get to site of crime. Highly trained, gun adept, teachers/coaches would solve the problem instantly, before police arrive. GREAT DETERRENT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018
….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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018
Trump attempted to clarify what type of reform he would support: Ending the sale of bump stocks — a device used to make a semi-automatic weapons function like an automatic rifle — raising the age of rifle sales to 21 and pushing for comprehensive background checks “with an emphasis on Mental Health.”
He then passed the buck to lawmakers.
“Congress is in a mood to finally do something on this issue — I hope!” he said.
I will be strongly pushing Comprehensive Background Checks with an emphasis on Mental Health. Raise age to 21 and end sale of Bump Stocks! Congress is in a mood to finally do something on this issue – I hope!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018
Trump’s tweets come after he suggested on Wednesday, during a listening session with student survivors and parents of victims, that he would be supportive of arming school staff members in order to stop attacks at schools.
“I think it could very well solve your problem,” he told the group who gathered at the White House.
The session comes a week after a 19-year-old former student opened fired at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and killed 17 people. In the past week, student survivors have been vocally advocating for tighter gun laws at the state and national level.
During a CNN town hall discussion on Wednesday evening with survivors, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said he would not support arming teachers.
