« The NRA is ready to do things, » POTUS says
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President Donald Trump used known National Rifle Association talking points during a White House school safety discussion Thursday, saying he’d like schools to be as safe as banks.
“I want my schools protected just like I want my banks protected,” Trump told state and local officials, according to a press pool report.
The president spoke to authorities who gathered at the White House to discuss how to best protect schools following the deadly mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, last week.
Also Read: NRA Spokeswoman Says Media ‘Loves’ Mass Shootings Because They’re ‘Ratings Gold’ (Video)
The president’s comment seemed to echo the same remarks delivered by the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre during a appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that morning.
“Our banks, our airports, our NBA games, our NFL games, our office buildings, our movie stars, our politicians — they’re all more protected than our children at school,” LaPierre said during the annual conference Thursday, according to Politico .
In 2012, soon after the Sandy Hook Shooting, which left 20 children and six adults dead, LaPierre told reporters: “We care about our money, so we protect our banks with armed guards.”
Also Read: Barbra Streisand, Kumail Nanjiani Among Stars Slamming Trump’s Idea to Give Teachers Guns
The Trump administration has been under intense scrutiny since the south Florida shooting, which left 17 students dead and sparked a nationwide movement for better gun safety laws. Survivors of the Parkland shooting have been garnering national attention and millions of dollars in donations form celebrities like George Clooney, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey in recent days.
Trump defended the NRA Thursday, telling reporters “The NRA is ready to do things.”
“People like to blame them,” the president added.
Also Read: Trump Proposes Arming Teachers With Guns, Twitter Goes Ballistic
On Thursday, NRA spokesman Dana Loesch blamed the media for capitalizing on mass shootings, telling an audience at CPAC that the “legacy media” is trying to capitalize on mass shootings.
“I’ll say it really slowly so all the people on the platform in the back can hear me loud and clear: Many in legacy media love mass shootings,” Loesch said. “You guys love it. I’m not saying that you love the tragedy, but I am saying that you love the ratings. Crying white mothers are ratings gold to you and many in the legacy media in the back.”
Mass Shootings in America That Horrified All of Us (Photos)
Newtown, Conn. – On December 14,2012,20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. They were between the ages of six and seven years old. He also killed six adult staff members. John Moore/Getty Images
Washington D. C. — A former Navy reservist shot and killed 12 people on September 16,2013, at a military facility. The gunman was killed. Getty Images
Tyrone, Mo. – On Feb. 27,2015, Joseph Jesse Aldridge killed seven people — four of them relatives — in a door-to-door shooting spree before killing himself. Getty Images
Waco, Tex. – Nine people were killed and many more were injured after two biker gangs began firing at each other at a motorcycle club on May 17,2015. Getty Images
Charleston, S. C. – Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people during a racially motivated shooting in a predominantly African-American church on June 17,2015. Getty Images
Chattanooga, Tenn. – A gunman named Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez entered two military facilities on July 16,2015, and killed four Marines and injured others, before he was killed. Getty Images
Umpqua, Ore. – On October 1,2015, Chris Harper Mercer killed nine people and injured seven to nine more at Umpqua Community College before two police officers shot him. Mercer then committed suicide. Getty Images
San Bernardino, Calif. – 14 people were killed and another 21 injured after Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik opened fire during a holiday party on December 2,2015. The pair were later killed during a shootout with police. Getty Images
Orlando, Fla. – 50 people were killed and 53 wounded on June 11,2016, at Pulse, a gay nightclub. Just before the shooting, suspected killer Omar Mateen called 911 and pledged his allegiance to the terror group ISIS. Mateen was also shot an killed by police on the scene. Gerardo Mora/Getty Images Previous Slide Next Slide
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TheWrap looks back at recent mass shootings that have happened on U. S. soil
Newtown, Conn. – On December 14,2012,20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. They were between the ages of six and seven years old. He also killed six adult staff members.
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