Washington's Gov. Inslee has often criticized President Trump, but monday he did it right to the President's face.
Inslee was invited to the White House with the rest of the nation's governors. When the President asked for questions, Gov. Inslee jumped on Trump's idea of arming teachers.
“You have suggested arming our teachers,” Inslee began. But President Trump cut him off.
“No, no, not your teachers. Arming a small portion that are very gun-adept that truly know how to handle. Because I do feel, governor it's very important that gun-free zones you have a gun-free zone, it's like an invitation for these very sick people to go there,” Trump said.
Gov. Inslee pressed on.
“I heard at one time you might have suggested 20%. Whatever percentage it is, as a grandfather, speaking as the governor of the state of Washington, I have listened to the people who would be affected by that. I have listened to the biology teachers and they don't want to do that in any percentage. I've listened to the first-grade teachers that don't want to be pistol-packing first-grade teachers."
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President Trump listened, his body language clearly indicating that he didn't like what he was hearing from the governor. And he almost certainly didn't like Inslee's conclusion.
“I just suggest we need a little less tweeting, a little more listening, and let's just take that off the table and more forward.”
“I do think that there has to be some form of major retaliation if [gunmen] are able to enter a school... It would be a very small group of people that are gun-adept,” @POTUS tells @GovInslee of his plan to arm certain people in schools https://t.co/mAQ1yaQp90 pic.twitter.com/LrUgVGSIKn
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 26, 2018
In a phone interview later, we asked Gov. Inslee he if had been disrespectful. “No, not at all. We were talking about a substantive issue that's really important to the safety of our children.
And the president needs to understand that his is not the only voice and he needs to be challenged sometimes on ideas that aren't the best,” he responded.
“The "extreme risk protection order system" has been supremely effective in allowing family members that realized there’s a risk to them separated from their firearm...it has saved lives, I’m sure, in Washington. I would commend it to you for national attention,” @GovInslee says pic.twitter.com/eyC2mxmgGD
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 26, 2018
“I think the Governor was being rude,” said Auburn Republican state Sen. Phil Fortunato. “He was the guest of the president; he should have said something a little more benign.”
Fortunato says Inslee should have instead pointed out the armed civilian program in the Toppenish school district. Fortunato is proposing the state pay to train teachers if other districts want to adopt that program.
Cox Media Group