Predictably, the White House press corps was quick to use the shooting at Florida State University to push a gun control agenda.
President Donald J. Trump was asked in the Oval Office about “gun legislation” shortly after Thursday’s deadly shooting that left two people dead and another six wounded and the president was adamant that “the gun doesn’t do the shooting” — according to authorities, the gunman, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, the son of a sheriff’s deputy, had access to at least one of his mother’s weapons, which was found at the scene.
“Mr. President, there are now two deceased following the shooting at Florida State University,” a reporter said. “Is there any changes you want to see to gun legislation? Anything you see broken with gun laws?”
“I’m a big advocate of the Second Amendment,” Trump replied. “I have been from the beginning. I protected it. And these things are terrible. But the gun doesn’t do the shooting. The people do. It’s, you know, a phrase that’s used probably too often. I will tell you that it’s a shame.”
NEW: After latest mass shooting, Pres. Trump is asked if he would support any new gun control legislation
“The gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do,” Trump said. “I have an obligation to protect the Second Amendment.” pic.twitter.com/rnJ6q6suw1
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 17, 2025
“I’m just hearing about it now, just heard about it,” he continued. “I know the area very, very well. I know the school very well. I know everything about it. It’s Florida. And we’ll have more to say about it later on.”
“What do you mean when you say there will be more to say about it?” the reporter asked in a follow up.
“Only in terms of what happened,” Trump said. “As far as legislation is concerned, this has been going on for a long time. I have an obligation to protect the Second Amendment. I ran on the Second Amendment, among many other things, and I will always protect the Second Amendment.”
Social media users were largely in agreement with the president, as seen in the responses below from X:
We don’t have a gun problem but we have a people problem
— Jeff Meyer (@sdgoosehunter) April 17, 2025
There’s no law on the books — nor any new one you could implement — that would have stopped this 20-year-old from taking his mother’s weapon and committing a shooting. Instead, we need to focus on the why — what drove this individual to commit such a horrific act of violence? Was…
— PitunisWorld (@ScMesab) April 17, 2025
Almost as if the problems are mental health and criminals being softly handled and not guns themselves…
— Rax (@RaxRazing) April 18, 2025
Literally nothing is stopping someone from getting a gun illegally. It happens more often than not. Does someone really think that anyone who is willing to murder people is willing to follow the law?
— JayDan (@JayDanOfficial) April 18, 2025
That is one of the reasons I voted for you, Mr. President. You are, without a doubt, very likely the BEST President America has ever had.
— J D Ebberly (@JDEbberly) April 18, 2025
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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