President Trump Proposes Pay Bonus for Armed Teachers, Says Shooter Drills Are Too 'Negative'

Tierney McAfee
Updated
President Trump Proposes Pay Bonus for Armed Teachers, Says Shooter Drills Are Too 'Negative'

President Donald Trump on Thursday doubled down on his calls to arm teachers in an effort to prevent school shootings, adding that firearm-savvy staff could be given “a little bit of a bonus” for carrying weapons on campus.

“I want certain highly adept people, people who understand weaponry, guns” to have a permit to carry concealed firearms in schools, Trump said during a White House meeting with law enforcement officials in the wake of the shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. He added that he would allocate federal funding to training said educators.

“I want my schools protected just like I want my banks protected,” the president said.

Trump first floated the armed-teachers idea — which is backed by the National Rifle Association — on Wednesday during an emotional listening session with survivors and parents of the Florida shooting as well as other students, teacher and families affected by gun violence in schools.

Trump has also voiced support for raising the minimum age for buying certain guns from 18 to 21, and enhanced background checks for people purchasing firearms — but said Thursday that he disapproved of schools holding active shooter drills to prepare students and staff for the worst.

“Active shooter drills is a very negative thing,” Trump said after Pam Stewart, the Florida Department of Education commissioner, brought up the drills. “I don’t like it. I’d much rather have a hardened school.”

Trump added that active shooter drills were “crazy,” and “very hard on children.”

Trump also tweeted this morning that he wants to give “concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience,” which he estimated is 20 percent of teachers.

“A ‘gun free” school is a magnet for bad people,” he said, vowing: “ATTACKS WOULD END!”

Elsewhere on Twitter, many critics lambasted the president’s comments and proposals and urged him to push for significant change.

“Educate? No bonus. Shoot people? Yes,” mocked one commenter.

“If Trump doesn’t want active shooter drills then he should DO SOMETHING about guns,” said another. “Sadly these drills are now part of school culture.”

And one Twitter user pleaded: “Please save us from this man having any more ideas.”