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'There is Nothing More Important Than Protecting Our Children' Trump Tells Florida Leaders

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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump met with state and local leaders from Florida after taking to Twitter to endorse stricter gun-control measures. The meetings come in the wake of the Parkland, FL school shooting last week.


"I will be strongly pushing Comprehensive Background Checks with an emphasis on Mental Health. Raise age to 21 and end sale of Bump Stocks!" the President said.

Trump supports tightening background checks and is working with senators on a bi-partisan bill to improve federal compliance with criminal background check legislation. 

"We want to ensure that when we see warning signs we act quickly," said President Trump. 

Parkland, FL Mayor Christine Hunschofsky agreed with the President in taking action to prevent another school shooting.

"And then in the end how did somebody like this person get access to that kind of firearm," said Hunschofsky. 

She's referring to the 19-year-old who killed 17 people last week at Marjory Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida. 

Senators are introducing a bill to raise the minimum age required to purchase a rifle which includes weapons like the AR-15 used in the Parkland school shooting. 

"It should all be 21 and the NRA will back it," said President Trump. 

On Wednesday, President Trump sat down with students, parents, and teachers affected by gun violence to talk about how to improve school safety. 

"It was very scary," said Julia Cordover. "I appreciate you hosting me. I am confident you will do the right thing." 

"Time has stood still," said Sam Zeif, Parkland School Shooting survivor. "I lost my best friend who is practically my brother, I am here to use my voice because he can't." 

Earlier in the week, Trump announced he signed a memo directing the Justice Department to craft regulations to ban all devices like bump stocks that allow semi-automatic firearms to be adjusted to become automatic.

The gunman in Las Vegas, NV, killed 58 people using such a device.

"The time for political correctness is over," said Trump. 

Next week President Trump is set to meet with state governors in an effort to make school safety a top priority.

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About The Author

Ben
Kennedy

Ben Kennedy is an Emmy Award-winning White House correspondent for CBN News in Washington, D.C. He has more than a decade of reporting experience covering breaking news nationwide. He's traveled cross country covering the President and scored exclusive interviews with lawmakers and White House officials. Kennedy spent seven years reporting for WPLG, the ABC affiliate in Miami, Florida. While there he reported live from Kingston, Jamaica, as Hurricane Matthew hit the island. He was the first journalist to interview Diana Nyad moments after her historic swim from Cuba to Key West. He reported