Trump loses it after teacher who voted for him slams plan to arm her

A culinary arts instructor who survived the Parkland mass shooting survivor rebuked Trump’s idea of arming teachers to address gun violence, and Trump spent his morning lashing out.

Trump touted the idea of “concealed carry for teachers and for people … of that type of talent” at a White House “listening session” on school shootings Wednesday.

The idea was met with skepticism even in the room, but on Wednesday night, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School culinary arts instructor Ashley Kurth powerfully rejected the idea at a CNN town hall.

Kurth, who said she had voted for Trump and supported the Second Amendment, clearly opposed the idea of arming teachers.

“When I had those hundreds of terrified children that were running at me, my question to that is, am I supposed to get extra training now to serve and protect on top of educate these children?” Kurth asked. “Am I supposed to have a kevlar vest? Am I supposed to strap it to my leg or put it in my desk?”

Sen. Marco Rubio, who has opposed gun regulations, said he doesn’t support arming teachers for a variety of reasons, including the confusion it could cause responding SWAT teams, leading to “an additional tragedy.”

“The first thing that happened when the SWAT team came in,” Kurth said, “the first question they asked is anybody injured, and the following question is does anybody have a gun. And I wouldn’t want to be the person saying, yes, I do.”

Trump responded to criticism of his plan by lashing out and lying about it Thursday morning.

“I never said give ‘teachers guns’ like was stated on Fake News @CNN & @NBC,” Trump wrote in a series of tweets. “What I said was to look at the possibility of giving ‘concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience – only the best.”

He added that “20% of teachers, a lot, would now be able to immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions. Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards.”

Trump continued to rant about arming teachers even as he insisted he never said teachers should be given guns. He even lashed out at “gun-free school zones,” which he campaigned on eliminating.

Trump’s fragile grasp on the truth and his own ego are disturbing on their own. But his policy priorities are downright terrifying. After a week of massive public outcry for more gun control, Trump’s priorities are to put more guns in schools, and to “solve” the problem on the cheap.

But people are siding with the Parkland survivors this time, and not the NRA. Trump had to write himself a note to remember to tell survivors of gun violence “I hear you,” but it’s time he started listening to them.