Trump backs arming teachers in wake of Florida school massacre

President Donald Trump is embracing a controversial response to the latest US school massacre: arming teachers and other staff to fight attackers. Trump offered his support for giving teachers guns during an extraordinary White House meeting Wednesday with often-tearful, sometimes angry students and parents affected by school shootings — including several from the high school in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed on Feb. 14.

“If you had a teacher with — who was adept at firearms, they could very well end the attack very quickly,” Trump suggested, drawing the support of some in the room and the disapproval of others. “We’re going to be looking at that very strongly.”

The president and lawmakers have struggled to respond to public demands for action in the wake of the latest mass shooting mindful of the clout gun-rights enthusiasts hold in the Republican party, which controls the White House and both chambers of Congress. While Trump has stressed mental health and school safety measures, he also has indicated some willingness to alter gun laws.


Trump announced on Tuesday he would propose regulations to ban “bump stocks” used to allow semiautomatic rifles to fire like automatic weapons. He signaled support for bipartisan legislation to improve data collection for the federal gunsale background check system. And he said he would consider supporting new age limits on rifle sales.

His support for arming teachers would eliminate the gun-free zones in and around schools enshrined in a nearly three-decade-old federal law. The idea prompted sharp rebukes from some Democrats and gun control advocates, and misgivings from at least one prominent Republican.