Media Help Trump Rehab His Comments That Clubgoers Should Have Guns

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Written by Cydney Hargis

Published

Reporters are helping presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump to rehabilitate his extreme comments that armed clubgoers could have stopped the mass shooting at a gay club in Orlando, Florida. They are erroneously portraying as a clarification his new statement that he was really talking about armed “guards or employees,” when in fact he has completely contradicted his prior remarks. 

Trump Claimed Armed Clubgoers Could Have Prevented Orlando Terror Attack

Trump: It “Would Have Been A Beautiful Sight” If Orlando Victims Had Been Armed. Trump said in several speeches and interviews that the Orlando mass shooting could have been prevented if more people in the nightclub were armed. In at least one instance he said that he was specifically referring to “some of the people killed.” From ABC News:

Trump's latest comment clashes with what the New York businessman has said multiple times since the shooting at Pulse nightclub, arguing that “some of those wonderful people” or “some of the people killed” should have “happened to have” a gun.

“If some of those wonderful people had guns strapped right here -- right to their waist or right to their ankle -- and one of the people in that room happened to have it and goes 'boom, boom,' you know, that would have been a beautiful sight folks,” Trump said on Friday night.

Speaking on the Howie Carr Show Monday, Trump explained that “it’s too bad some of the people killed over the weekend didn’t have guns attached to their hips where bullets could have thrown in the opposite direction. Had people been able to fire back it would have been a much different outcome.” [ABC News, 6/20/16]

Trump Contradicts Prior Statements, Falsely Claiming He Was Referring To “Guards”

Trump: “When I Said That If … You Had Some People With Guns, I Was Obviously Talking About Additional Guards.”

[Twitter, 6/20/16]

Media Carry Water For Trump By Reporting He “Clarified” Himself

The Hill: Donald Trump “Clarified His Comments … Only Security Guards Or Employees” Should Be Armed. While noting his history of advocating for arming citizens, The Hill reported that Trump “clarified” his call to arm “young people” in clubs after reporting the NRA’s opposition. From the June 20 article:  

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Monday clarified his comments about the Orlando massacre, tweeting that only security guards or employees should have had access to weapons, not guests of the Pulse nightclub.

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Trump repeatedly said over the past week that that the outcome in Orlando, where 49 people were killed and 53 others were injured by a lone gunman, would have been different had more people in the club had guns.

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Those previous comments were widely reported as support from Trump for armed clubgoers.

Trump's latest tweet came a day after the National Rifle Association's (NRA) top lobbyist and political strategist said on Sunday he didn't want to see armed people drinking at clubs. [The Hill, 6/20/16]

Reuters: “Trump Said He Was Referring To Security Staff.” Reuters reported Trump said he was not referring to “patrons” in his claim that arming more people would have resulted in fewer deaths during the Orlando shooting. From the June 20 article:        

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump said he was referring to security staff, but not patrons, in comments that if more people had been armed during a Florida nightclub shooting last week, fewer would have died.

“When I said that if, within the Orlando club, you had some people with guns, I was obviously talking about additional guards or employees,” Trump said on Twitter on Monday.

Trump had said last week that he wished someone inside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12 was carrying a firearm to stop a gunman before he could kill more clubgoers. [Reuters, 6/20/16]

Politico: “Trump Sought To Clarify His Position” On Arming Clubgoers. Politico reported that Trump is looking to “clarify” his position on arming civilians after the NRA “said his advocacy of Second Amendment rights had gone too far.” Nelson noted that Trump backtracked, saying he was talking specifically about armed guards in the club, and that this backtrack “brings him in line with the NRA.” From the June 20 article:      

Donald Trump sought to clarify his positions on guns on Monday, the morning after the National Rifle Association’s top two officials said his advocacy of Second Amendment rights had gone too far — even for them.

At a Friday night rally in Houston, Trump suggested that the terrorist attack at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub might have been avoided or least made less deadly if more people inside the club had been armed. It would have been a “beautiful sight,” Trump said to the raucous Texas crowd, to see armed patrons shoot “the son of a bitch.”

But Monday morning, Trump backed away from that comment in a post to Twitter, writing that he was “obviously talking about additional guards or employees.”

The presumptive Republican nominee’s backtracking brings him in line with the NRA after the gun-rights group's top two officials criticized Trump in separate appearances on Sunday-morning political talk shows.

NRA Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he didn’t think “we should have firearms where people are drinking.” [Politico, 6/20/16]

CNN: Donald Trump “Clarified His Stance …. On Who At Nightclubs Should Have Firearms.” CNN reported that Trump “originally appeared” to say Orlando victims could have stopped the shooting if armed, but later “clarified” that he was referring to armed guards and employees:    

Donald Trump clarified his stance Monday on who at nightclubs should have firearms after he originally appeared to suggest that Orlando victims could have stopped the gunman if they were armed, causing top National Rifle Association officials to distance themselves from the GOP presumptive nominee.

“When I said that if, within the Orlando club, you had some people with guns, I was obviously talking about additional guards or employees,” Trump tweeted.

Top NRA leaders split Sunday with Trump's earlier position that armed club-goers are a good idea.

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Trump had said Friday at a rally that armed club-goers shooting Omar Mateen “would have been a beautiful, beautiful sight.” [CNN, 6/20/16]

USA Today: Trump “Tweeted A Kind Of Clarification.” USA Today reported Trump offered up a “kind of clarification” after the NRA distanced themselves from his claim that armed clubgoers could have prevented the shooting in Orlando. From the June 20 article:        

Donald Trump stepped back Monday morning from his controversial comments suggesting that the massacre in an Orlando gay nightclub might have not been as bad had patrons been armed.

[...]

On Monday morning, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee tweeted a kind of clarification, saying he meant all along armed guards, not armed patrons. [USA Today, 6/20/16]