National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch said Thursday that the gun-control measures proposed at the White House's televised meeting with top lawmakers the prior day would not keep American children safe.
President Donald Trump met with a bipartisan group of congressmen and senators at the White House on Wednesday to discuss school safety and gun policy in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, earlier this month.
At the meeting, Trump suggested a number of gun-control initiatives favored by Democrats—such as banning those under 21 from purchasing certain kinds of rifles and shotguns, and seizing some people's guns without or before due process.
Loesch appeared on "Fox & Friend" to give her thoughts on the meeting.
"It's great to watch ... on TV and I love the fascinating discussions, but at the same time it doesn't make for great policy for keeping our kids safe," Loesch said. "There's a way that you can respect and protect due process and protect the rights of millions of Americans while also hardening our schools and keeping our kids safe."
Loesch said that the NRA is working to enhance security at schools and believes that the background check system should be updated to prevent mentally ill individuals from obtaining firearms to harm themselves or others.
"It is inconceivable to millions of American families why they're the ones being punished for the failures of government," she added.
"That firearm did not walk itself into the school. It was allowed to after 45 missed calls," Loesch said of the Parkland shooting, noting that local law enforcement and the FBI had been notified several times that the alleged shooter, Nikolas Cruz, may have been planning a school shooting. "It's not a failure of the law; it's a failure of enforcement."
Loesch also said that NRA leaders have told Trump that "due process must be respected" with any changes to current gun laws.
Loesch added that states should fully report convictions of mentally unfit individuals after they have received due process to help in background checks for gun purchases.
"It is absolutely possible to respect due process and make sure that our number one priority, our kids, are protected," she said.
The NRA spokeswoman's comments after after Trump tweeted about the White House meeting, writing that "a bill should emerge."
Many ideas, some good & some not so good, emerged from our bipartisan meeting on school safety yesterday at the White House. Background Checks a big part of conversation. Gun free zones are proven targets of killers. After many years, a Bill should emerge. Respect 2nd Amendment!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 1, 2018
Trump said at Wednesday's meeting that law enforcement should be able to confiscate firearms from potentially dangerous people without going through due process.
A spokesperson for the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action told the Washington Free Beacon on Wednesday that, "while [the] meeting made for great TV, the gun-control proposals discussed would make for bad policy that would not keep our children safe."