On ABC’s February 22 show, The View hosts addressed the White House listening session and CNN town hall that occurred the day before about the Parkland school shooting, but spread some misinformation along the way, as usual.
Host Sunny Hostin began by complaining that President Trump’s response to the shooting was “more guns” not “less:”
I was surprised that the president even after this listening session seemed to suggest that teachers should -- that the answer is having more guns rather than less. And he mentioned the teachers should carry weapons. And I just -- teachers are there to teach our children!
Co-host Meghan McCain jumped in to clarify what Trump actually said:
He actually tweeted this morning that that's fake news. What I said was to look at the possibility of giving concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience. Only the best. 20% of teachers a lot-- which would now be able to immediately fire back if a savage sicko came into the school.” They’re talking about people with military training. So it's not all teachers in all schools.
“Well, teachers!” Hostin scoffed in response as the pair spoke over each other. “With military and special training experience!” McCain rebutted.
“He said that he would -- they would train teachers in all sorts of military styles. He's not hiring military vets, Meghan, as teachers!” Hostin gushed.
A frustrated McCain re-read part of the tweet. “What did I just say? He said “Looking at the possibility of giving concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience,” she argued.
McCain and Hostin clashed again later in the discussion, over which party was to blame for certain gun laws. McCain pointed out that Democrats were spreading “revisionist history” by blaming Republicans for current gun laws, arguing that between 2009 and 2010 Democrats held the majority in the House, Senate and White House, and didn’t renew the federal assault weapons ban, that was in place for a decade, but expired in 2004.
That irked Hostin who started yelling, “That collapsed but in 2012 after Sandy Hook President Obama tried everything and the Republicans blocked it at every turn! The Republicans blocked it!” as the audience cheered in applause.
After more cross-talk, McCain tried to point out that a student from the town hall last night said CNN “scripted” the questions. After playing the video clip, the panel basically ignored what he said and Whoopi kept attacking the NRA for “ignoring” what parents and students were saying.
She fumed,“The NRA has to understand parents are saying there are too many ways for y'all to screw this up and we have seen it.”
McCain tried to point out that what the crowd was asking for was extreme and their tone was disrespectful and unconducive to conversation. She pointed out that the crowd was chanting for a ban on all assault weapons everywhere. “There is a big difference between assault weapons and bump stocks,” she said with frustration as the panel talked over each other.
After cutting to commercial, the pair fought over whether or not it was a good idea to arm teachers, yet again. “Can we talk about facts?” Sunny Hostin gushed. “Less guns make people safe,” she argued, claiming that “facts and statistics” from law enforcement and Harvard back her up.
“When we have the President of the United States advocating more guns, teachers having guns, I wonder where are we as a country that we no longer look at statistics, we no longer look at studies and we no longer look at facts,” she argued.
