Student who survived the Parkland mass shooting challenges Marco Rubio not to accept contributions from the NRA
- A student who survived the deadly Parkland school shooting in Florida asked Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida if he would "not accept a single donation from the [National Rifle Association]."
Rubio reportedly received two donations of $4,950 from the NRA during his previous campaigns.
- Rubio said "people buy into my agenda," and said he supports the Second Amendment.
A student who survived the deadly Parkland school shooting in Florida posed a pointed question to Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida about contributions to his campaign from the National Rifle Association on Wednesday night.
"Can you tell me right now that you will not accept a single donation from the [National Rifle Association] in the future," Cameron Kasky, a student of the high school where 17 people were gunned down on February 14, asked Rubio during a CNN town-hall event.
The NRA, a powerful lobbying group with nearly five million members, donates millions of dollars to politicians and their campaigns to promote gun advocacy.
"The positions I hold on these positions of the second amendment I've held since the day I entered office in the city of west Miami as an elected official," Rubio said. "People buy into my agenda. And I do support the Second Amendment."
"And I also support the right of you and everyone here to be able to go to school and be safe," Rubio continued. "And I do support any law that would keep guns out of the hands of a deranged killer. And that's why I support the things that I have stood for and fought for during my time there."
Rubio reportedly received two donations of $4,950 from the NRA during his previous campaigns.
"People buy into my agenda," Rubio said. "The influence from these groups comes not from money. The influence comes from the millions of people that agree with the agenda."
After Kasky called attention to the 17 people killed in the shooting, Rubio responded: "I think in the names of 17 people, I can pledge to you that I will support any law that will prevent a killer like this from getting a gun."