Trump defends arming teachers

Says they could better defend schoolchildren

WASHINGTON – President Trump argued before a group of political supporters Friday that arming some teachers will make the nation’s schools “a much harder target” for would- be attackers, offering a staunch defense of an idea opposed by law enforcement and education groups.

“When we declare our schools to be gun- free zones, it just puts our students in far more danger,” Trump told the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Minutes after slamming the Florida sheriff’s deputy who failed to

stop last week’s mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., as either a “coward” or someone who froze under extreme pressure, Trump insisted that teachers who actually know the students would do a better job defending them.

“A teacher would’ve shot the hell out of him,” Trump said of Nikolas Cruz, who authorities said killed 17 people and wounded 15 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Since holding an emotional listening session at the White House on Wednesday with students and parents affected by gun violence, Trump has called for “well- trained” and “gun- adept” teachers and coaches to be able to carry concealed firearms at schools.

The gun issue dominated a wideranging speech in which Trump also called for building a wall on the Mexican border.

“Don’t worry, you’re getting the wall,” he told the Trump- friendly crowd at the annual CPAC meeting near Washington. Delegates whooped and chanted, “Build that wall!”

Law enforcement and teachers groups said arming teachers would be ineffective and could lead to accidental shootings.

“We need solutions that will keep guns out of the hands of those who want to use them to massacre innocent children and educators,” said Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association. “Arming teachers does nothing to prevent that.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D- N. Y., said Trump follows the National Rifle Association playbook in advocating armed teachers. “Not surprised the NRA reeled President Trump back in,” Schumer said. “Just amazed at how fast it happened.”

Trump praised students who survived last week’s shooting in Parkland. “Our whole nation was moved by their strength,” he said.

In recent days, Trump endorsed modest gun control measures such as expanding background checks and increasing the minimum age to buy semiautomatic weapons to 21. He did not expand on these ideas at CPAC, where delegates oppose gun control measures as infringements on Second Amendment rights.