Trump: I Would Have Run Into Florida School Without Gun

He says it's 'disgusting' a school resource officer remained outside
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 26, 2018 12:30 PM CST
Trump: I Would Have Run Into Florida School Without Gun
President Trump speaks during a meeting with the members of the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, in Washington.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Had President Trump been present when a shooter opened fire at a Parkland, Fla., high school, the commander-in-chief says he wouldn't have hesitated. "I really believe I'd run in there even if I didn't have a weapon, and I think most of the people in this room would have done that, too," Trump said Monday during a meeting with 39 state governors at the White House. Trump added that it was "disgusting" that a sheriff's deputy assigned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School "choked" and remained outside the school during the shooting, but said, "You never know until you're tested," USA Today reports. He said the local sheriff's deputies "weren't exactly Medal of Honor winners," CNBC reports. The governors were at the White House for discussions on various issues including new school safety measures and other gun control measures, Bloomberg reports.

Trump outlined a proposed program that would involve an increased age limit for buying semi-automatic weapons, expanded background checks, armed teachers and school officials, and the elimination of "bump stocks" and similar devices. Trump's proposed program also includes an emphasis on mental health issues. He said of Parkland law enforcement, "The only worse job is they didn’t nab this guy earlier." He once again brought up mental institutions: "In the old days you’d put [the shooter] in a mental institution. We’re going to have to start talking about mental institutions." It's not clear whether Congress will move forward with the proposed plan. As for the NRA, Trump told the governors the organization is "on our side," adding, "You guys—half of you are so afraid of the NRA. There's nothing to be afraid of. And you know what, if they're not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That's OK." (More President Trump stories.)

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