Trump: Armed Teacher 'Would Have Shot the Hell Out of Him'

President goes 'off script' during lengthy speech at CPAC
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 23, 2018 12:25 PM CST
Trump: Clinton 'Atrocities,' Arm Teachers, Beware Immigrants
President Trump gestures as he makes a joke about his hair during remarks to the Conservative Political Action Conference, Friday, Feb. 23, 2018, in Oxon Hill, Md.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

“You don’t mind if I go off script a little bit?” President Trump asked the audience Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Time reports the president, admitting his prepared remarks were "a little boring," mostly ignored the teleprompter (including a segment on new North Korean sanctions) during his nearly 75-minute speech. For Trump, going off script mostly meant getting back to some of his favorite rally topics: the size of his election victory, having "the most successful first year in the history of the presidency," and "atrocities" committed by the Clintons (complete with chants of "lock her up"). The president warned of the danger and treachery of immigrants, reciting The Snake by Al Wilson. Trump regularly recited lyrics from the 1960s song during his campaign. It culminates with the line, "You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in."

Trump also addressed the topic of the moment: guns. "When we declare our schools to be gun-free zones it just puts our students in more danger, far more danger—well-trained gun-adept teachers and coaches should be able to carry concealed firearms," Politico quotes Trump as saying. Repeating his call to arm teachers, he added: “A teacher would have shot the hell out of [the Parkland shooter] before he knew what happened." Trump tried to fire up the audience for the 2018 midterms, warning them not to get complacent and allow Democrats to take control of Congress, the Hill reports. “If they get in, they will repeal your tax cuts, they will put judges in that you wouldn't believe, they'll take away your Second Amendment, which we will never allow to happen.” (More Donald Trump stories.)

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