Just a week after the tragic mass shooting at a Florida high school, Donald Trump held a listening session for some of the student survivors and their families at the White House. After the event took place, many were not pleased with the president.
SPECIAL REPORT: White House listening session on school safety underway; students, parents and teachers participating in wake of Parkland shooting https://t.co/qLL6Kp8HYo pic.twitter.com/EOYig4RZVm
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 21, 2018
Trump on mass shooting
It was only a week ago when Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida became the scene of the latest mass shooting in the United States.
Just after 2 p.m. local time, 19-year-old Nikolas Jacob Cruz, a former student at the school, took his loaded weapon and unloaded on his former classmates. By the time Cruz was taken into custody by police, 17 people had been killed, with many others left injured. The shooting sparked another debate about gun control, with the expected reactions coming from the political left and right.
Parkland student Justin Gruber to Pres. Trump during White House listening session with those affected by last week's deadly shooting at a Florida school: "There needs to be a significant change in this country, because this has to never happen again." https://t.co/OTfbk9b9rz pic.twitter.com/LtOUdDd02D
— ABC News (@ABC) February 21, 2018
Since then, students at the school and others around the country have been vocal in pushing for increased gun control, with walk-outs and protests taking place as the call for action grows louder.
As reported by CBS News on February 21, students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, as well as family members, were invited to the White House where they elaborated on their thoughts. Over the course of the session, students and teachers addressed the president, who mostly sat quietly and listened to stories.
Andrew Pollack, father of one of the victims of the deadly Florida school shooting last week tells Pres. Trump at a White House listening session: "9/11 happened once, and they fixed everything. How many schools, how many children have to get shot?" https://t.co/OTfbk9b9rz pic.twitter.com/RZNYjZfWqM
— ABC News (@ABC) February 21, 2018
Donald Trump has taken a hard line in his support of the Second Amendment, even being endorsed by the NRA back in 2016.
Despite this, Trump has suggested that he would be open to working towards increased background checks, as well as banning bump stocks. "We're going to be very strong on background checks... very strong emphasis on the mental health of somebody, and we are going to do plenty of other things," Trump said at the session.
Twitter reaction
In response to Donald Trump's listening session, critics of the president were not impressed. "I’m really annoyed with this listening session. It’s just another photo op. At least the one dad took him to task," one tweet read.
This "listening session" is a joke, right? The people in that room are just passing along condolences and saying how a shooting like that shouldn't happen again. @cnn #NeverAgainMSD #ParklandStudentsSpeak
— Michael J. Bautista (@MikeJBknows) February 21, 2018
They purposely didn’t invite Emma Gonzalez or David Hogg???
— 🇺🇸MAGA=RINOs #NukeRussia Conservativism is DEAD (@WeAreFct1) February 21, 2018
It’s a set up. I remember when my mayor dodged visiting my class again. Them questions are too hard for these pussies.
WE WANT EMMA AND DAVID #ParklandStudentsSpeak
I’m really annoyed with this listening session. It’s just another photo op. At least the one dad took him to task. #ParklandStudentsSpeak
— Henchwoman (@mallsta) February 21, 2018
"Thoughts and prayers are empty if we don’t act to change the conditions that allow mass shootings to keep happening," a Twitter user wrote.
"They purposely didn’t invite Emma Gonzalez or David Hogg??? It’s a set up. I remember when my mayor dodged visiting my class again. Them questions are too hard for these pussies. WE WANT EMMA AND DAVID," a follow-up tweet noted. "Could you have picked more UNFOCUSED FAMILY and STUDENTS to have your LISTENING MEETING with," an additional tweet added.
Great to see so many students denouncing Donald Trump who was elected with full endorsements by the NRA and gun companies. See that Trump is now pretending that he cares by allowing some of the gun victims to speak to him. Trump looks like an evil old man. #ParklandStudentsSpeak
— JosephB (@canadajoe1) February 21, 2018
Why didn’t Trump and the White House invite the kids from #StonemanDouglas who are leading the #neveragain movement? Oh we all know why. #parklandstudentsspeak
— WaterWhirled (@waterwhirled) February 21, 2018
#ParklandStudentsSpeak & I'm glad they're fired up. But, students PLEASE look at ALL sides of this and also turn your wrath on the #Failures of Intelligence/Action and Mental Health issues. #GunControl without reform on these fronts will be insignificant.
— Claricia Quinn (@ClariciaQ) February 21, 2018
"This 'listening session' is a joke, right?
The people in that room are just passing along condolences and saying how a shooting like that shouldn't happen again," a social media user wrote. "Why didn’t Trump and the White House invite the kids from Stoneman Douglas who are leading the Never Again movement? Oh we all know why," yet another tweet added.