Civic Register
| 2.28.18

Trump Hosts Bipartisan Meeting on School Safety

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What’s the story?

In response to the Parkland school shooting that left 17 dead, President Donald Trump met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday to discuss school safety and gun-control legislation.

"We can’t wait and play games and nothing gets done," Trump said as he opened the session with 17 House and Senate lawmakers. “We want to stop the problems.”

Here are some of the highlights from the meeting:

  • The president told the room: "I'm the biggest fan of the Second Amendment, many of you are [but] we've got to stop this nonsense, it's time."

  • Trump warned against attaching concealed carry reciprocity to a bill to improve background checks. "If you add concealed carry (reciprocity) to this, you'll never get it passed," the president said. "We want to get something done."

  • Trump said "we need to do something about the mentally ill not being able to buy a gun." He added that legislation may need to include a provision to "take the guns away immediately" if necessary.

  • Trump said the Parkland shooter should have had his guns taken away earlier, regardless of the law: "I like taking the guns early…Take the guns first, go through due process second."

  • The president repeated his criticism of gun-free zones, saying: "You've gotta have defense, too."

  • Trump accused Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) of being "afraid of the NRA." Later in the meeting, Trump broadened his criticism, saying some lawmakers in the meeting were “petrified” of the NRA. “They have great power over you people,” Trump said. “They have less power over me.”

  • The president said he’d ban bump stocks by executive order.

  • Trump reiterated his concerns about violent video games and internet content. "The video games, the movies, the Internet stuff, it's so violent," he said, telling the room that he looks "at some of the things” his son Barron Trump is watching “and I say, how is that possible?”

What do you think?

Various gun-control legislation is being discussed. What would you like to see in a bill? Hit Take Action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman

(Photo Credit: Screenshot via CNN)