Trump says the armed Florida deputy who failed to confront school shooter 'doesn't love the children'
- President Donald Trump said Friday that the Florida deputy who failed to intervene during last week's mass shooting at a high school "doesn't love the children."
- The deputy had been armed and standing outside the high school building where the shooting took place.
- Trump went on to defend his proposal that some teachers be armed with concealed firearms, because teachers "love the children" and security guards don't.
President Donald Trump on Friday doubled down on his proposal to arm certain teachers so they can defend students against active shooters, arguing that merely placing armed officers in schools won't work because they don't "love the children."
Trump criticized a Florida deputy who resigned on Thursday after an investigation by the Broward County Sheriff's Office found he did "nothing" during last week's high- chool shooting that killed 17 people, even though the officer was armed and standing outside the building as the massacre took place.
"Frankly, you had a guy and he was outside as a guard and he decided not to go in. That was not his finest moment, that I can tell you," Trump said during a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. "We need people that can take care of our children."
Trump went on to explain that if certain teachers were armed with concealed weapons, it would both enable them to protect their students and deter potential shooters. He suggested that teachers would be more willing to defend students than security guards.
"If [shooters] know bad things happened to them once they get into that school by people who love the children - see, a security guard doesn't know the children, doesn't love the children," Trump said. "This man standing outside the school doesn't love the children, probably doesn't know the children. The teachers love their children."
Trump added that he wasn't suggesting all teachers carry weapons, but only certain faculty members with previous firearms experience.
The proposal has been widely panned by lawmakers from both parties and teachers themselves.