A day after a listening session to address concerns from survivors of the Parkland school shooting, US President Donald Trump has pointed to video games and movies as possible causes for violence, as the White House is faced with raising rallies for gun control laws.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"I'm hearing more and more people say the level of violence on video games is really shaping young people's thoughts," he said at a meeting on school safety. "And then you go the further step, and that's the movies."
"You see these movies, they're so violent and yet, a kid is able to see the movie if sex isn't involved," he went on. "Killing is involved, and maybe they have to put a rating system for that."
His comments were similar to criticisms that the NRA made in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shootings, in that a problem is the violent culture perpetrated by the entertainment industry.
On Wednesday, survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida., which killed 17 people, gathered at the White House to talk to Trump about possible solutions.
While Trump discussed mental health issues and the idea of teachers being supplied with guns, many of the survivors raised questions about the accessibility of guns in the US, especially assault rifles like the shooter's AR-15.
In a series of tweets,Trump suggested allowing "highly trained teachers" to have a gun in the classroom, and added that he will be "strongly pushing comprehensive background checks with an emphasis on mental health".
Trump also denied that he suggested arming teachers, although he is open to personnel on school campuses having firearms.
Australian Associated Press