During a speech to members of the National Rifle Association on Friday, former President Donald Trump called for an overhaul of school security in the wake of the Uvalde shooting and urged that teachers be armed.
‘Surely we can all agree that our schools should not be the softest target in our country; instead, our schools should be the single hardest target,’ he remarked to applause.
That’s why, as part of a comprehensive school safety strategy, it’s past time to finally allow highly trained teachers to conceal carry safely and discreetly.’
His speech came three days after 19 children and two teachers were shot dead at Robb Elementary School, less than 300 miles away from the NRA meeting in Houston, Texas.
The result is another moment of deep reflection as a nation mourns the dead and wonders how to prevent future attacks.
But while protesters outside demanded tougher restrictions on deadly firearms, Trump followed other Republicans in insisting that guns in the hand of law-abiding citizens were the best way to tackle violent crime.
He slammed local police for taking too long to respond to the emergency and said schools should be made more secure.
The former president opened in reflective mode. Trump began by calling for a moment’s silence as he read the names of each of the 21 people killed in the Uvalde slaughter.
The audience stood and a bell tolled as each name was read.
‘The monster who committed this crime is pure evil, pure cruelty, pure hatred, absolute pure hatred,’ said Trump.
‘And while those he slaughtered are now with God in heaven, he will be eternally damned to burn in the fires of hell.’
Trump said it was wrong to go after guns ‘every time a disturbed or demented person commits such a hideous crime.’
‘The fact is, there will always be sick and demonic souls who wish to harm the innocent and see malice triumph over good …but the existence of evil in our world is not a reason to disarm law abiding citizens who know how to use their weapon and can protect a lot of people,’ he said.
‘The existence of evil is one of the very best reasons to arm law abiding citizens.’
While President Joe Biden has signaled a fresh push on guns, Trump laid the focus elsewhere.
‘While we don’t yet know enough about this week’s killing, we know there are many things we must do,’ he said in his most policy-heavy speech since leaving office
‘We need to drastically change our approach to mental health. There are always so many warning signs.
‘Almost all of these disfigured minds share the same profile.’
The attack on children and teachers has divided the country, between those who think gun control is the solution and those who do not.
Trump said no one should be able to enter a school unless they had been thoroughly screened and authorized.
‘Every school in America should have a police officer or an armed resource officer on duty at all times.
‘Moreover, at every police department in America, we need a rigorous training on active shooter protocols to immediately locate and eliminate the target,’ he said, before criticizing the Uvalde response.
‘It took too long.’
Across the street, protesters took a different view. They held crosses with photos of shooting victims and shouted, ‘NRA go away,’ and ‘Shame, it could be your kids today.’
One woman held a placard reading simply: ‘F*** the NRA,’ and shouted abuse as thousands of members of the country’s biggest gun lobby streamed into the convention center.
Beto O’Rourke urged protesters to break the opposition of Republicans to gun control by ‘getting in their faces before another child is shot in face’ outside the National Rifle Association meeting in Houston on Friday.
Thousands of protesters assembled across the street from a convention center where former President Donald Trump was due to speak in favor of the Second Amendment.
But O’Rourke, who is running to unseat Republican Greg Abbott as Texas governor, delivered an impassioned plea for action.
‘So I ask you for those of you in power and who hold office right now and were in the way and refuse to act: Please promise me you will get in their faces before another child is shot in their face,’ he told protesters.
It comes after a string of performers announced they would not be appearing at the meeting’s Saturday night concert – throwing the event into doubt.
That made little difference to the main exhibition hall on Friday, which was busy with attendees looking over stalls selling handguns, military-style rifles and every other type of firearm in between.
A taxidermy stand was dominated by two stuffed bears, while another touted the merits of investing in gold to ride out market uncertainty.
The singer Lee Greenwood was the latest to announce he was pulling out on Thursday evening.
‘As a father, I join the rest of America in being absolutely heartbroken by the horrific event that transpired this week in Texas,’ said the ‘God Bless the USA’ star.
‘I was scheduled to perform at NRA’s private event on Saturday with my band.
‘After thoughtful consideration, we have decided to cancel the appearance out of respect for those mourning the loss of those innocent children and teachers in Uvalde.’
Daniel Defense, which made the weapon used in the Uvalde shooting, also withdrew.
Its allotted space was filled with food vendors instead.
Their absences were a blow to organizers who hoped the weekend would strike an air of defiance as Democrats make a fresh gun control push.
Even Abbott, a staunch defender of gun rights, decided not to appear.
He instead sent a pre-recorded statement. In it, he said he would be visiting Uvalde again.
And he used it to push back on the idea that new laws would have prevented the school massacre.
‘There are thousands of laws on the books across the country that limit the owning or using a firearms laws that have not stopped madmen from carrying out evil acts on innocent people and peaceful communities,’ he said.
‘In Uvalde, the gunman committed a felony under Texas law before he even pulled the trigger. It’s a felony to possess a firearm on school premises, but that did not stop him.’
The NRA meeting is being held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, about a four-hour drive from Uvalde.
Protests were held by groups including Black Lives Matter Houston, Indivisible Houston, the Harris County Democratic Party, Moms Demand Action, immigration group FIEL Houston, the League of United Latin American Citizens, Move On and others.
Houston police said that they were taking steps to accommodate both the convention and the protests against it.
‘We always are aware of the demonstrations and-or counter-demonstrations and staff accordingly,’ police spokeswoman Jodi Silva said. ‘We staff accordingly to make sure that everyone can participate and be safe.’
For his part, Trump said that there was no contradiction in attending the event after the school slaughter.
‘America needs real solutions and real leadership in this moment, not politicians and partisanship,’ Trump said in a statement earlier in the week.
‘That’s why I will keep my longtime commitment to speak in Texas at the NRA Convention and deliver an important address to America. In the meantime, we all continue to pray for the victims, their families and our entire nation – we are all in this together.’
When he took the stage on Friday he even made a dig at those who were absent.
‘I’m honoured to be here in the great state of Texas with the wonderful patriots of the NRA,’ he said,
‘And unlike some I didn’t disappoint you by not showing up.’
Music legend Don McLean announced Thursday that he would no longer take part.
‘I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform,’ he said. ‘I’m sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as well.’
And the mayor of Houston made clear his reservations about the event and elected representatives who chose to attend.
Sylvester Turner said cancelling the event was not possible.
‘Canceling the convention would leave the city subject to a number of legal issues,’ he said.
‘The greater question is why are elected officials speaking there, and what message does that send.
‘You can’t pray and send condolences on one day and go and champion guns on the next.’
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