In the aftermath of the shooting of two journalists in Roanoke, Va., Wednesday, Donald Trump stated, “this isn’t a gun problem, this is a mental problem.”
Trump, appearing on CNN’s “New Day” Thursday, argued that stricter gun laws won’t work because “in certain areas of Chicago you have people killed all the time with guns. And they have, by far, the toughest gun laws in the country. So it’s not just a question of the laws, it’s really the people.”
Chris Cuomo: Solutions winds up becoming the call from people who are so sick and tired of what they see. Do you think it is time to do something else about guns? Nobody likes to talk about it. People say this is an inappropriate time and those who experience it say it’s the most appropriate time. Would you do something different with gun policy?
Donald Trump: Well, I don’t think I would because this is really a sick person, this isn’t a gun problem, this is a mental problem. And you know, you have cases, had the veterans, had the guys shot recently, had they had weapons, they might have been able to save themselves. They would have been able to, they were all heroes, they were all tremendous military men and they had absolutely no defense. And frankly, you know, a case like this, he snuck up on them, whether it was a gun or a knife or whatever it would have been, it would have been something. But you know, you’re not going to get rid of all guns. So I know one thing, if you try to do it, the bad guys would have them, to use an expression and the good folks would abide by the law, they’d be hopeless and it would be a hopeless situation for them. And I think it’s a big mistake. And you know, I’m a very much Second Amendment person, Chris, and I know the arguments both ways very well, but I’m very much into the Second Amendment. You need protection. Now, you also have entertainment and you have all sorts of activities and all of that, but taking that out of the picture, you know most — guns are used for recreational purposes, like people play golf and like people play other things, and hunting, but beyond that, in terms of safety, you know if you’re sitting there in the cabin some place and somebody walks in with a gun, I tell you what, I would rather be in the place with the gun and not the gun, that I can tell you that. I’m a strong Second Amendment person.
Cuomo: I guess what we’re struggling with is what that means, you’re a second amendment man and strong on that, should it be easier for people to get guns? I mean it sounds counter intuitive to so many people, but is that what you’re suggesting? Is that the answer?
Trump: Well, I think right now in theory if you go right now it is not that easy for a lot of people. A lot of people have to go through the process. I don’t think you should make it hard for sane people. But you know, if you look at Chicago where they have the tremendous gun problems with gangs, many are illegal immigrants by the way just to get onto another subject. But in Chicago you have a tremendous number of shootings. In Baltimore you have a tremendous number of shootings. Tough, tough gun laws, you know in Chicago, they say they have the toughest gun laws in the United States, and yet you have people getting killed all the time in certain areas of Chicago. I mean, certain areas of Chicago are phenomenal places, but in certain areas of Chicago you have people killed all the time with guns. And they have, by far, the toughest gun laws in the country. So it’s not just a question of the laws, it’s really the people.