Donald Trump solemnly boasted to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago press conference that when he was president he "totally protected the guns," as opposed to totally protecting the children, critics fired back.
"When a bad guy walks in with a gun, you gotta have some way of protecting yourself," he explained.
"People need guns for protection," Trump added before noting that the National Rifle Association "endorsed me very powerfully every time I ran. They gave me the strongest of endorsements."
"When I was president, I totally protected the guns" -- Trump pic.twitter.com/Jwuj5kHZ2I
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 8, 2024
It was a startling statement that particularly infuriated parents of children and other innocent Americans killed or maimed in shootings and their supporters.
Giffords, the anti-gun nonprofit launched after the 2011 shooting of former Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords at a Tucsoon shopping mall where 6 people were killed, tweeted: "Yeah, we know."
“When I was president, I totally protected … the guns.”
— GIFFORDS (@GIFFORDS_org) August 8, 2024
Yeah, we know.
Americans would rather have a president who protects our kids. pic.twitter.com/gAxSFX8BlG
The number of shootings of young children and teens skyrocketed 50% beginning in the Trump Administration in 2019 to 2021, and firearms became the No. 1 cause of death for Americans under the age of 18, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported.
"When I was president, I totally protected the guns." —Donald Trump
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) August 8, 2024
This is Jaime Guttenberg. She was murdered in school by a teenager with an AR 15. For those wondering, while Donald Trump was President. pic.twitter.com/8mNl8n2dxN
Trump today: "When I was President I totally protected the guns."
— Deacon Blues (@DeaconBlues0) August 8, 2024
Me: you must be so proud that firearms are the leading cause of death among children.
"When I was president, I totally protected the guns." —Donald Trump
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 8, 2024
That's true. Too bad he didn't work as hard to protect the children. Guns became the leading cause death for American kids under Trump.
Las Vegas ~ 58 dead, 500 wounded:
— David Cable (@DavidCable13) August 8, 2024
"You know, when I was president, I totally protected the guns" ~Trump pic.twitter.com/2onxptxjB1
“When I was president, I totally protected the guns.”
— The Resistor Sister®️♥️🇺🇸 (@the_resistor) August 8, 2024
Translation: I am OWNED by the NRA pic.twitter.com/tTGHrAVAkt
The fact that he actually said "when I was president, I totally protected the guns" instead of protected school children or innocent civilians or anything with a pulse instead of a trigger, makes me want to throw up or cry or rage or VOTE.
— Carla Pace (@carlapaceNY) August 9, 2024
