On Wednesday afternoon, President Trump sat down for a listening session with survivors of school shootings and victims’ families, including those at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Columbine, and Sandy Hook, and others. Among the ideas thrown out by participants on how we can put a stop this seemingly never-ending cycle of gun violence, Trump seemed most taken with one gentleman who suggested we arm teachers and even undercover officers posed as custodial workers.
“If you had a teacher who was adept at firearms, they could very well end the attack very quickly,” Trump noted, when it was his turn to speak. “It only works when you have people very adept at using firearms, of which you have many,” he later added. “It would be teachers and coaches.”
The president’s remarks quickly became the subject of controversy, as it seems like common sense that the solution to this problem isn’t to have more guns in schools. After his quotes were taken out of context (but not really) by the media, Trump lashed out in a Thursday morning tweetstorm.
“I never said ‘give teachers guns’ like was stated on Fake News @CNN & @NBC,” the president tweeted. He then went on to explain exactly why he wants to give teachers guns.
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
For what it’s worth, he then followed up a few minutes later with a few more productive-sounding ideas:
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
As many are also pointing out — because There’s A Tweet For Everything — the president’s new ideas on guns in classrooms come as a stark contrast from May of 2016 Donald Trump:
Crooked Hillary said that I want guns brought into the school classroom. Wrong!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 22, 2016
Such quaint times we were living in, when even the thought of a presidential candidate advocating for guns in schools seemed absurd.