President Donald Trump on Thursday said he hopes "Congress is in a mood to finally" act on regulation impacting the purchase of firearms, saying he will push to require comprehensive background checks with emphasis on mental health.
Trump sent out several tweets following Wednesday night's CNN town hall, which was held in the wake of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that left 17 children and teachers dead last week.
"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!" Trump tweeted.
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 said he will be meeting with lawmakers late Thursday morning to discuss school safety and that he will be meeting with the U.S. governors next week while they're in town for the National Governors Association Winter Meeting. He went on to say there has been "many years of all talk, no action," but that his administration will "get it done."
The president also outlined some of his objectives for gun reform and pushing back against CNN and NBC for saying he wanted to "give teachers guns." Multiple attendees, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), at the town hall said they disagreed with Trump about arming teachers with guns to protect their students.
"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," Trump pushed back on Twitter.
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!" Trump said.
....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
Trump went on to say history shows that the average shooting "lasts, on average, 3 minutes" and that the police and first responders take 5-8 minutes to get to the site of a crime.
"....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!" Trump tweeted.
....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 also defended the National Rifle Association, praising its president, Wayne LaPierre, and "Chris," an apparent reference to NRA executive director for legislative action Chris Cox, for "work[ing] so hard."
"They love our Country and will do the right thing," Trump added.