Town hall finds Sen. Rubio on defensive over gun control
SUNRISE, Fla. — Republican Sen. Marco Rubio was put on the defensive Wednesday by angry students, teachers and parents who are demanding stronger gun-control measures after the shooting rampage that claimed 17 lives at a Florida high school.
One of those confronting the Florida senator at a CNN’s “Stand Up” town hall Wednesday night was Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed on Feb. 14 with 16 others. Guttenberg told Rubio that this daughter had been shot in the back while fleeing the gunman.
Rubio was the lone Republican at the nationally broadcast gathering after Florida’s GOP Gov. Rick Scott and President Trump declined invitations to appear at the event in Sunrise, Fla.
Guttenberg told Rubio that his comments about the shooting “and those of your president this week have been pathetically weak.”
People stood up and cheered Guttenberg as he challenged Rubio to tell him the truth, to acknowledge that “guns were the factor in the hunting of our kids.”
Guttenberg added, “And tell me you will work with us to do something about guns.”
Rubio responded that the problems laid bare by the shooting rampage “cannot be solved by gun laws alone,” drawing jeering whistles from the crowd. Rubio responded that he would support laws barring those 18 and under from buying such weapons, support changing the background checks system and getting rid of bump stocks.
He also said he does not support arming teachers and suggested that he might back specific new regulations on high-capacity magazines.
But Rubio drew jeers when he said that if he believed an assault weapons ban “would have prevented this from happening, I would have supported it.” Visibly angry, Guttenberg responded: “That is a weapon of war. Your answer speaks for itself.”
Student Cameron Kasky did not mince words, telling Rubio, “It’s hard to look at you and not look down the barrel of an AR-15 and not look at (the shooter) Nikolas Cruz” before asking squarely, “Can you tell me right now that you will not accept a single donation from the NRA?” The room erupted in cheers as Rubio replied that people buy into his agenda and that he supports laws to keep guns out of the hands of deranged people. He drew more boos by refusing to reject political support from the NRA.