Trump on CNN: Focus on Mental Health, Hardening Schools, Not Restricting 2nd Amendment

During his Wednesday town hall on CNN, former President Donald Trump told moderator Kaitlan Collins that the U.S. needs a strong focus on mental health and hardening schools, not gun control.

Collins asked Trump if there were “any new gun restrictions” he would sign into law if he wins in 2024.

Trump responded, “I would do numerous things, for instance, schools, we would very much harden. And also … I believe in teachers. I love teachers. I think they’re incredible and they love the children, not quite like the parents, but in many cases, almost as much. Many of these teachers are soldiers, ex-soldiers, ex-policeman, they are people that really understand weapons.”

He then intimated that having just five percent of the teachers armed “would be more than you could ever have if you were going to hire security guards.”

However, he went on to note that adding security guards along with armed teachers is part of his approach to hardening schools, as well as “hardening your entrances.”

Trump continued, “And you can make other places safe, but it is a big mental health problem in this country more than anything else.”

He then expounded on why his focus is not on new restrictions by emphasizing that there are hundreds of millions of guns in this country and that many Americans, “if they don’t have a gun, they’re not going to be very safe.”

Trump emphasized that having a gun provides Americans with “security.”

On April 14, 2023, President Trump told the NRA Leadership Forum that he would sign legislation as president to institute national reciprocity for concealed carry permit holders. This would mean a concealed carry license from one state would be recognized by the 49 other states, just like a driver’s license or marriage license.

During that same NRA Leadership Forum speech, Trump also pledged a tax credit for teachers who train to be armed.

Watch: Trump: School Shootings Are a “Spiritual Problem,” Not a Gun Problem

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AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.