Pres. Trump Expresses Support For Teachers Carrying Concealed Gun.
COOPER: With a nationally televised listening session with the White House today in the CNN Town Hall on gun violence just moments away, there's a big question surrounding all of it. Is now the time when serious congressional debate on guns can actually begin? Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy has been there, he's been there especially since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary just a little over five years ago. Here's what he said a week ago when news at the Florida shooting broke. 2</s>SEN. CHRIS MURPHY, (D) CONNECTICUT: That this happens nowhere else other than the United States of America. This epidemic of mass slaughter, the scourge of school shooting after school shooting. It only happens here not because of coincidence, not because of bad luck, but as a consequence of our inaction.</s>COOPER: Senator Murphy joins us now. Senator, after Newtown, after the horror there, there was hope that some sort of progress might be made. Does this moment feel different for you? I mean you've been trying to get legislation pass since Newtown?</s>MURPHY: Well, the anti gun violence movement has been growing by leaps and bounds since Sandy Hook. The gun lobby, the gun industry has had a head start on us about 20 years when it comes to political organization, but we are catching up. Then I think this may be a water shed moment when all of these kids speaking for themselves, this may compel lawmakers to act. But the fact of the matter is, the public has made up their mind long ago on this issue. 97% of Americans in the last poll want universal background checks, that numbers always been above 80%. Ultimately, you know, we have to convince members of Congress that if they don't vote with 97% of their constituents that want stronger gun law, that they're going to pay a price at the polls and if strength of this movement and the strengths of the students may finally be able to convince those members, that they'll pay that political price.</s>COOPER: You know, the White House has said that the President is supportive of a bill you are cosponsoring with Republican Senator John Cornyn that will help strengthen the federal background check system. Today though in his listening session, the White House, the President seemed most supportive of the idea of arming teachers and others inside the school. Is that part of the solution, do you think?</s>MURPHY: Yes, that's an insane idea that will make our schools less safe not more safe. It's a creation of the gun lobby. The gun industry for years has called on societies to arm themselves in order to protect themselves which belies all of the evidence that tells us that communities and homes that have more guns are more likely to be subject to gun crimes. But it has the benefit of allowing gun industry to sell more guns. My bill with Senator Cornyn is a good bill. But let's be clear what it does. It just compels states to comply with existing law. It actually doesn't subject any additional sales to background check. That's what Americans want. And so I hope that will, you know, have a full debate on the Senate floor about the ways in which we can better protect our kids and, you know, all citizens of this country.</s>COOPER: You know, if you look at FBI statistics, so many of the deaths in mass -- in school shootings, take place in the first couple of minutes, really in the first six minutes or so often time police response time is about six minutes or even maybe more in some cases. The argument for arming teachers or others in the schools is that you've been have more guns in the school that can fight potentially fight back. You say is just a recipe for disaster. Can you just explain why you think so?</s>MURPHY: Well, it's a recipe for disaster, because what happens when you arm teachers is one, you put a whole mess load of guns close to kids that can be used accidentally. Second, you create cross fire that can get a lot of innocent people killed. Third, you make it hard for police who are responding to figure out who the good guy and who the bad guy is. And fourth there's no evidence to suggest that this actually works, anecdotally or empirically. Empirically we know that in homes that have guns those guns are more likely to be used to kill you, not to kill an intruder. And anecdotally we know in places where mass shootings happened and there were lots of guns, take Dallas, where there were people walking around that square with AR-15 strapped to their backs, it didn't help in that carnage. So this again is simply a talking point from the gun industry. They are trying to make you think that more guns will make your school safer because they are desperate to sell more guns.</s>COOPER: Republican Senator Jeff Flake is now back in bill introduce by Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein that would raise the minimum age to buy an AR-15 type rifle, from 18 to 21 years old, just the age to buy hand gun. Which would have in theory prevented the shooter in Parkland from legally acquiring his rifle. The NRA has already come out against the bill. If history is any guy, does the NRA's opposition guarantee defeat?</s>MURPHY: Well right now Congress is owned by the NRA. The reason that President Trump is supporting the bill that I introduced with Ssenator Cornyn is because it's endorsed by the NRA. It's the furthest the NRA would go and thus the furthest that the White House and the Republicans in Congress will go. At some point the NRA will lose their grip, the gun lobby will lose their grip on Congress, but it will probably have to come after an election. I fear that right now, the NRA has veto authority over legislation in Congress. Maybe I'll be proved wrong, maybe these kids are more powerful than they even know, but that seems to be the reality today in Congress.</s>COOPER: A few minutes ago, President Trump tweeted this, he said, "I will always remember the time I spent today with courageous students, teachers and families. So much love in the midst of so much pain, we must not let them down. We must keep our children safe". Do you have hope or expectations that this President will spur the Congress to act in meaningful way?</s>MURPHY: It certainly didn't sound like today. Again, I'm glad that he's endorsing, you know, the bill that I wrote, but it is just an incremental step forward just to try to make the existing background check system work as it's intended to do. The end of that event today was full of NRA and gun lobby rhetoric, loading our schools up with more weapons, something that teachers don't want and students don't want. There was a day when the President was for the elimination of assault weapons and universal background checks. And maybe when he's thinking about the demands from these kids to fix this problem, he'll remember that. I hope he'll also remember that this isn't just about school shootings. Even on days when there isn't a school shooting, 90 people in this country die from guns. Many of those suicides, but 30 of them are gun homicides. We owe an obligation to everyone who is a victim of this epidemic, not simply those who are victims of school shootings that get a lot of attention on the news.</s>COOPER: Well, Senator Chris Murphy, I appreciate your time tonight, thank you. Former First Lady, Michelle Obama also tweeted tonight, saying "I'm in total awe, the extraordinary students in Florida, like every movement for progress and our history, run reform will take unyielding encourage and endurance. Barack Obama and I believed in you, we're proud of you and we're behind you every step of the way." Join us now is former Obama senior adviser David Axelrod. David, we are just minutes away from this Town Hall, beginning you just heard Senator Murphy. Do you share his feelings on the chances of getting meaningful legislation getting passed and signed into law? I mean he said point blank the NRA went to Congress right now?</s>DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, and he's been steeled by hard experience. And the country has as well. I mean Newtown seemed like such a clear case and yet even a 90% bill, you know, like universal background checks, never went anywhere. So there is hard experience to look at here. But on the other hand, we've never seen anything quite like this. These kids are just overwhelming. These kids are so inspiring, so impressive. And they are just asking us to suspend our cynicism, to throw off the political shackles that campaign contributions and threats from the NRA represent, and finally live up to our responsibilities. And my great hope for them and the country is that they -- is that we're able to do that. It would be a terrible thing if their earnest pleas are responded to with business as usual. And the President has the ability to make a difference here. I agree with Senator Murphy, his rhetoric at the end of that session at the White House today was very discouraging. On the other hand, he watching -- we know he watches television, we know he's watching these children. He has a sense of the impact they're having. He was in a room today with some very moving people. And perhaps he'll find the courage to take some steps in the right direction. Maybe not all the steps that we need, but more steps than the NRA will allow. And if he does, he'll provide political cover for others to as well.</s>COOPER: You think him coming forward on this would provide enough political cover to buck, for some people to buck the NRA?</s>AXELROD: Yes, I think that -- I think that it would. I think it would be a risky move for him with his base. I also think as a political matter that he would make some inroads in places where he needs to like in suburban areas around the country by doing it. But at the end of the day, one hopes it's not all about the political calculus, that there -- that he was moved somewhat by the people in the room, even if he need a note card to remind him to tell them that he's listening.</s>COOPER: It's interesting to me that you feel sort of the voice of these students could possibly be some sort of -- I don't know if "watershed event" is too strong a word, but could actually make a difference.</s>AXELROD: Yes. Well, listen, Anderson, I don't want to be pollyannish about it. But I've been in tears the last few days watching these kids. I want to believe that America can respond to them. The hard- bitten political side of me says it's going to end the way all the others have ended. But I've seen movements in this country before, the civil rights movement is one, where the young people really led the way and pricked the conscious of the country. Maybe that will happen here.</s>COOPER: David Axelrod, i appreciate your time. Students from Stoneman Douglas High School today met with Florida lawmakers and with Florida Governor Rick Scott. Many students spoke at the state capitol, including Sofie Whitney.</s>SOFIE WHITNEY, STUDENT, STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL: People are talking about how we aren't serious because we're children. But have you heard my friends talk? We're serious. We are here to discuss with our state legislators how we can prevent what happened to us. We are going to make a change. We will not give up. This is only the beginning of our history. Please be on the right side of it. Help us. Help us so children don't fear for going to school. Help us so mass shootings aren't inevitable. Help us so our children, our grandchildren, and their children after that don't have to march for their lives. Help us for our 17 fallen brothers and sisters. Help us so no one else dies. Thank you. (END VIDEOTAPE</s>COOPER: Sofie Whitney joins me. Sofie, you had a chance to speak with Governor Rick Scott tonight. Can you tell us about that -- what did he say to you and your fellow students? What did you say to him?</s>WHITNEY: We were actually pleasantly surprised to hear how receptive he was to our ideas. It was more of like an open conversation between us and him. We started it off talking about the policies that we would like to see in the upcoming bill, and he would respond with different ideas to maybe make it a little different than our ideas. But he seemed to really hear what we were trying to say.</s>COOPER: When you and I talked last night, you told me that if you were to craft your own bill, it would address mental health, background checks, some kind of waiting period, banning assault rifles. I'm wondering how many of those specific topics came up.</s>WHITNEY: Just about every one, except for banning assault rifles. But that was in a perfect world, that's a lot to ask for in one session.</s>COOPER: The legislature in Florida, their session ends in just a couple of weeks. Were you able to get a sense at all today of how much it's going to take to get something done before then?</s>WHITNEY: Well, according to Governor Scott, he said that there will be a bill proposed this Friday. But that wasn't a positive. But I'm hopeful that he actually might follow through.</s>COOPER: Did he say what would be proposed?</s>WHITNEY: A bill that kind of combines all of the things we're talking about including background checks, a lot of mental health examinations, hopefully raising the age to buy a gun, a waiting period.</s>COOPER: I know you've mentioned before that actions speak louder than words. Did you leave today's meeting believing that action actually will be taken? Because I mean a lot of times people will say things to your face and then there's no actual follow-through.</s>WHITNEY: Yes, well, I won't believe everything he says until we see the bill. But I'm going to be hopeful just to keep morale high. But I think that there's a good chance that we're going to get at least some of the stuff that we want out of this bill.</s>COOPER: I'm wondering also at the protest today what you saw today, how you if he felt about how it went, and what you're expecting from the town hall tonight?</s>WHITNEY: Well, most of the kids on the trip weren't allowed to actually leave to go outside to see the rally. But there were a lot of people protesting inside. I mean it was really good to see people joining us, and a lot of kids standing with us. And from the town hall tonight, I have a lot of friends speaking there. I'm really hoping that Senator Rubio is as responsive and receptive as Governor Scott was tonight.</s>COOPER: Well, Sofie Whitney, I appreciate your time. Thank you.</s>WHITNEY: Thank you for having me.</s>COOPER: Well, the town hall is now just a few minutes away from starting. I want to check in with our Alisyn Camerota who is there. Alisyn, first of all the turnout for this, I mean I didn't realize what a large event it was going to be, it looks like there are thousands of people there. You also see Senator Marco Rubio in the state, Senator Bill Nelson, Congressman Deutsche from the district where the school is. It's an enormous turnout.</s>ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: It is an enormous turnout, bigger than we expected. There are something like 7,000 people here. That's a security estimated for us. And you could -- if you didn't know, Anderson, that something, this unspeakable tragedy had happened, you would think that this was a pep rally for Stoneman Douglas School, because there is so much school spirit here. When they ask the kids -- the students, the kids to stand up, this arena erupted in support and love for them. When they asked the teachers of the district to stand up, the arena erupted. And when they asked the principal of Stoneman Douglas to come out, it brought the house down, people just applauding in sustained claps for a long period of time. There's a lot of love and support in here. We also just watched the sort of 16 to 18 most recognizable faces of the survivors walking out and now they're onstage right behind me. It -- this has already been a remarkable night. It's going to be a very emotional night. People are already yelling some questions to the lawmakers, they're not waiting for it to start. So it is just going to be an extraordinary conversation. The mood in here is filled with love as well as lots of demands and questions from these students who are still in so much pain.</s>COOPER: Alisyn, thanks very much. Time now to hand it over to Jake Tapper. He's going to be leading the CNN Town Hall which we're calling "Stand Up." As Alisyn said, there are some nearly 7,000 people in that auditorium, according to security. Community members, parents, teachers, lawmakers, legislators, and of course, as you saw, students not only from that school, but from surrounding schools as well. Marco Rubio is on the stage. The students from Stoneman Douglas, "Stand Up", the CNN Town Hall: Stand Up, The Student of Stoneman Douglas Demand Action, starts now.