democrat. also appearing will be a representative from the national rival association and broward county florida sheriff. take a look at some live pictures from the event. thousands of people will be gathered inside. you won't want to miss it. our special coverage continues right now with john berman. outfront next, unprecedented event, cnn town hall on school shootings and how to stop them as people demand action. also president trump all speak with two people who spoke to the president today, do they think it made a difference. and white house has warning, so they say going to vladimir putin himself. let's go outfront. good evening i'm john berman in for erin burnett. welcome to our viewers in the tan around the world.

>> outfront demanding action. anger president trump face-to-face with students and parents who lost loved one including last year massacre killed 17 in parkland, florida. one father asking how many children have to get shot. and here on cnn many of the tonight's participants have been deeply and personally affected by last week's mass shooting in parkland. looking at live pictures from the bbt center in sunrise, florida where several thousand sand people are expected to fill that arena for the two hour cnn houn hall. senators have agreed to participate t along with congressman whose district includes parkland. national sparks mandan na russia will represent nra. they'll offer the opportunity to participate tonight and take questions from students both

decline cnn invitation to appear. while the president will not be in florida at the town hall, he did hear from shooting survivors and families inside the white house. andrew pollock told the president that his daughter was killed in parkland, shot nine times. >> i'm very angry that this happened l because it keeps happening. 9/11 happened once. and they fixed everything. how many schools? how many children have to get shot? it stops here with this administration and me. i'm not going to sleep until it's fixed. and, mr. president, we are going to fix it. all the school shootings, it doesn't make sense. fix it. it should have been one school shooting and we should have fixed it. and i'm pissed. because my daughter i'm not going to seguin. she's not here. she's not here.

>> parkland students sam size described how he texted his family during the shooting and how hero teacher beigle lost his life saving his younger brother and then he poured out his heart. >> no family members, or anyone should ever have to share those texts with anyone. and that's why i'm here. i lost a best friend who is practically a brother. and i'm here to use my voice because i know he can't. and i know he's with me cheering me onto be strong. but it's hard. >> i feel for all the families who have lost -- >> then he made a promise. >> and he feel for the ones that are here. >> we are going to go starting about two minutes after this meeting, we are going to work.

this is a long-term situation that we have to solve. we'll solve it together. and you've gone through extraordinary pain, and we don't want others to go through the kind of pain you've gone through. it wouldn't be right. >> i want to talk about both of these important events today. one taking place shortly on cnn. alison is on the town hall in florida. jeff zeleny at the white house. let's start with florida. what are we expecting tonight? >> oh, my gosh, john, what a remarkable moment that was at the white house. that's just a taste of what we expect to see tonight at this extraordinary event. perhaps i can turn around and you can see behind me hundreds of people have trickled in to that i can their seats at the bbt arena. we expect 7,000 people to fill this arena over the next hour. there are going to be students here. there will be teachers. there will be parents. there will be democrats and

republicans. there will be survivors of the parkland massacre, meaning the kids who hid in a closet and watched their best friends die. and there will be the national rife a rifle association all in one room. you've covered these after a horrible tragedy, they retreat and dig in and don't engage with each other. but tonight that's not going to be possible. everybody is going to be on this one stage together. they have to confront the students who are demanding answers. they are coming with suggestions and demands. and the politicians both democrat and republican have to hear them. so that starts again at 9:00 tonight here. >> alison, it's going to be emotional night. as you noted you were there one week ago tonight following the shooting. what's the one moment you'll be looking for? >> reporter: well, i just spoke to these three young women,

juniors at douglas high school, part of a drama troop, and they came here not actually with any sort of political message or any sort of demands. they came here because in their grief on monday one of them named sawer garrity wrote a song. that's what she did to channel her grief she wrote a song called shine. and tonight she and her friends in the drama troop will perform it for the 7,000 people here and for everyone around the world watching. i've read the lyrics. it's about their deep grief and the strength that they feel in coming together and in the solidarity of students across the country supporting them. it is going to be a must see moment. it's at the end of the town hall so they are feeling good and want to get their message of unity out. so everybody should stick around to watch that. >> we'll all be listening for that moment. sounds amazing. alison in florida, thanks so much. prum tonight hearing from

students families and teachers about the issues of the school shootings. jeff zeleny outfront live at the white house. it was emotional gathering inside the white house and president trump right in the middle of it. >> john, it was indeed. and stories of those six students from marjory stoneman douglas high school who one week ago walking the hallways of that school, hiding from the shooter. today they were in the state dining room of the white house telling the president their stories directly, of course sitting next to columbine, and they were not born two decades ago, and that under scores how long this has been an american problem. the president said it has been a problem for too long. now is the time for action. of course that is where the difficulty begins. you heard variety of different stories of what should be done. should school teachers and officials be armed? the president spoke out in favor of that. mother from sandy hook said, no, that is not what should be done.

the problem should be addressed before a shooter gets to the school. but in a very emotional moment, a student who was in the school at the time said, mr. president, why should i be able to buy an ar-15? now we do know the president has been talking behind the scenes here about potentially supporting raising the age limit for purchasing this type of a weapon. but the nra tonight said it is not in favor of that. so, john, that speaks to the question. what will the president do here? will he confront the nra? will he lead his own party? what specific solutions will be done? we also got a sense, this was the president unlike we have seen, setting unlike we have seen him, john, and a photographer in that state dining room captured a photograph i'd like you to look at of the president holding that piece of paper there. he said what would you most want me to know about your experience? and at the bottom, i hear you. so a bit of a coaching moment for this president doing the act

of what all american presidents sadly have had to do, confront this violence face-to-face. clearly the president moved by the stories. but on-the-bigger question is will this time be any different? >> john. >> jeff zeleny at the white house for us. outfront now fred guttenberg, his daughter 14-year-old daughter jamie was one of the 17 people killed in the mass shootings at the stoneman douglas high school one week ago. fred, i'm so sorry for your loss. and i know this has been a difficult week. >> i thank you. >> i know you'll be attending this town hall tonight taking place in that arena where you are. what do you want to hear tonight? >> i want to hear people speak truth to action. as the kids have said, well, they have used some real serious language, but you know what, my daughter was hunted last week. she wasn't just simple little thing. she was massacred. my daughter who was the energy

in the room. she brought beauty and joy to everyone she was around. and she was hunted in school. i am enraged to hear our politicians, including in that little circular sit down session in the president's office today, not be able to use the phrase that guns are a problem. i am enraged. i want to hear our elected officials, i want them to look me in the eye and acknowledge the role that guns played in the hunting of my daughter. i started my day today with my wife visiting her at her cemetery. the idea that these politicians can't come to grips with reality and start talking facts as to what it was that brought my daughter down and killed her. my daughter was hunted in school. running to save her life. and what i heard today is that we need to arm students and teachers so that we'll have

shootouts in the hallways? i mean, come on. there was pandemonium. my daughter and others kids were running for their lives. so what are we supposed to have, more casualties? enenraged. i want to hear about real solutions but you can't until you say what the problem s and the problem is guns. it's not -- and i don't diminish anything else with regards to mental health or all the other factors, because they are all critically important. okay. but guns are the issue. and i'll tell you i support the second amendment. my son was shooting with his grandfather just a couple of months ago. this is not what it is for me. however, okay, we have to get real about this. >> the mayor of parkland delivered your message to the president in that room. told the president that you, sir, want the issue of guns addressed. you must address the issue of guns you asked. and as you mention, one of the ways the president has done that

is to suggest arming teachers. listen to what he said for a moment here. >> an attack has lasted on average about three minutes. it takes five to eight minutes for responders, for the police to come in. so the attack is over. if you had a teacher who was adept at firearms, they could very well end the attack very quickly. >> this is a nonstarter for you? >> listen, i want every elected leader to stand with me and these kids. because these kids have been unbelievable. however, okay, that statement, and i hate to say it, he's intentionally making himself purposely useless, okay. that is a nonstarter. that is a way to create a conversation around something that is not going to save lives. okay. and as long as we can't talk

about the real problems and the real solutions, that is making our self purposely useless. >> the president does seem open, if you read his body language, and listen to white house aides, open to the notion of raising the minimum age to buy ar-15, assault style weapons. right now it's 18. any 18-year-old can walk in and buy an ar-15. president seems open to raising that to 21. yet the nra came out tonight and said no they are not in favor of it. >> i heard. >> do you think the president will stand up to the nra on this issue? >> i'll say i hope so. i think his language and the way he is speaking through lt hunting last week of these kids through today suggests not. but i'm an ultimate optimist. i believe we are going to get something done here. i hope he will be part of it.

i i am thrilled by these kids and what they have done and movement they started. and i want them to come on my back while we do this. because we are going to get this done. all i did was send -- i sent my daughter to school. it's all that i did that day. on valentine's day. and today i'm visiting her in her cemetery. i'm sorry, we have to talk truth and real solutions. >> you, sir, owe no one apology. you say you'll lead them in this discussion. i think a the lo of these students are telling us to jump on their backs and they will lead us in this discussion. >> they are amazing and unbelievable. >> your daughter was a dancer. and we have seen these images orange ribbons for jamie. >> yes. >> what does this mean to you? does this bring you any comfort?

>> my -- listen, a week ago my faith was shattered. what people have done this week to honor my baby, what people have done this week has restored my faith. what it also tells me is that people are demanding real solutions. they are wrapping their arms around my daughter, turns out orange is her favorite color, but i also just learned today that it's also the unstrersal color of gun safety in this country. what an amazing just connection h but you are right, this orange ribbon started at a little dance theater, parkland dance theater in parkland where my daughter danced and it went worldwide. you have broadway shows dedicating their performances to my daughter and putting these on. it says to me that people want change. it doesn't matter how much money the nra has and how much money they are willing to spend. citizens vote.

citizens will demand these kids are powerful. my faith in our students, in our youth is so strong after what happened this week. you are 100% right what you said. they have taken this country on their back and not given up. they want to do one thing. they want to go to school that's it. this is so common sense and simple. >> and that's what this discussion will be. >> i'm sorry. >> no, as i said, you, sir, have to apologize for nothing. thank you for being here. >> thank you. >> thank you for taking part in this cnn town hall discussion. discussion is so important and we value your input. so thank you. >> appreciate your time. >> outfront next, shooting survivors confront the president begging him to do something about guns. >> i don't understand why i can still go in a store and buy a weapon of war.

an ar. >> that student is my guest next. plus breaking news the white house says tonight the u.s. is taking direct action against russia to address election meddling. what exactly does that mean? erin burnett outfront brought to you by taltz. but when your psoriasis is bad, does it ever get in the way? embrace the chance of 100% clear skin with taltz. taltz is proven to help people with moderate to severe psoriasis achieve completely clear skin. with taltz, up to 90% of patients had a significant improvement of their psoriasis plaques. in fact, 4 out of 10 even achieved completely clear skin. don't use if you're allergic to taltz. before starting, you should be checked for tuberculosis. taltz may increase risk of infections

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things are just clearer. you wouldn't accept from any one else. why accept it from your allergy pills? flonase relieves your worst symptoms including nasal congestion, which most pills don't. flonase helps block 6 key inflammatory substances. most pills only block one. flonase. breaking news president trump at the white house today hearing from survivors of the high school shooting in parkland l.a., one week ago today, as well as parents who lost students in previous school shootings. it was a conversation that was frank and at times emotional. >> no one wants to see a shootout at a school. and deranged sociopath on his way to commit an act of murder in a school with the outcome knowing the outcome is going to be suicide is not going to care

if there is someone there with the gun. that's their plan anyway. >> how is it that teaseeasy to this type of weapon? how can we not stop this at columbine and sandy hook? i'm sitting with a mother who lost her son. it's still happening. >> those two men join me now. samuel student who survived last week. and mark dozlost his son daniel. it takes courage to do what you did, not only texting with your brother, but today speaking your mind and showing your heart to the country, face-to-face, with the president of the united states. what did you takeaway from this session today? >> it's just a start, really. there is going to be a lot more to come, and it's going to coma lot more. and, you know, this was us

starting at the top. and if this doesn't go how we want it to go, we'll start at the bottom, and work the judiciary and we'll work our way right back up to the top and we'll solve this. we are going to stop this. >> mark, there was one sentence that you said that i think maybe a lot of people missed but i have to tell you it hit me right in the gut. you said you'd been in this room, the building, the white house before more than once talking about school shootings, talking about ways to solve this problem. so what was going through your head this time once more you are there having this discussion? >> that's what i was thinking, john. i'm thinking here we are again. this time. another time with a room full of people. new people. who are just now starting this journey after another horrific mass shooting. and, yeah, i was one of the new people in the room five years

ago ringing our hands, begging our congress to try to do something. this is my little daniel. he was shot to death in sandy hook el rementary school just or five years ago and here we are trying to discuss this hand get solutions. we decided to do something at the community level. that's what we are doing with sandy hook. >> we are proud of the work you are doing. i'm so glad you are showing pictures of your son daniel knowing this is what it's about. >> people need to remember. >> issue of solutions, president trump talked about arming teachers. this is a solution that he sees and others do as well. this is what the president said. >> okay. this would only be obviously for people that are very adept at handling a gun. and it would be, it's called concealed carry, where a teacher would have a concealed gun on

them. they would go for special training. and they would be there. and you would no longer have a gun freeze zone. gun free zone to a manic, because they are all cowards, a gun free zone is let's go in and let's attack. because bullets aren't coming back at us. >> how would you feel about teachers carrying guns at your school? when you go back next week? >> i don't know if i'm going to be going back next week. but on that topic, teachers get get emotional too. and to arm every -- like to arm any teacher, they are there to teach. they are not -- they are not supposed to be there to protect us and have to worry about if they are going to have to shoot a kid that day. there should be people there for that. i spoke with a teacher who was there in that room with me. and she's been teaching for 19 years. and she said if one day she came

to work and they said, all right, we'll start arming you guys with firearms, she would quit. teachers and 19-year-olds are still people. and everyone is different. there is no way to -- you just can't. you just can't arm every single teacher. >> the president suggested that it would be only teachers who go through certain training. and i want to ask mark about the same issue but i don't want to let something pass. you are not going to go back to school next week. why not? >> i don't know how they expect me, my classmates and i, to step back on a campus where people we know were murdered. like they are going to fence off the freshman building or tear it down or whatever. it's just like a horror movie

that never ends. and i don't know how i'm going to go back on set. >> mark, yeah, again, you mentioned i think your wife is a teacher. and you thought a lot about this issue of arming teachers. and you suggested that you don't think arming teachers with weapons is the right idea. but instead arming them with what? >> arming them with the tools to recognize somebody who is at risk of hurting them self or somebody else. and then intervening and getting them to the help that they need before they pick up a gun or any weapon to hurt themselves or hurt somebody else. that's a solution that works that we know we have available right now. we can start doing that immediately. we know that it works. we have already stopped school shootings with students who have been trained who have followed that model and prevented a shooting before it happened. so it's absolutely doable. we are ready to go. >> sam, one of the things you seem to suggest is that 18-year-old shouldn't be able to buy an ar-15.

and in fact, listen, if you listen to the president he may be receptive raising the age to 21. the president might be willing to go there. the nra said no they are not in favor of it. is this something you'll push the president on it? >> when i say 18-year-old shouldn't be able to. that was direct reference to myself. nobody should be able to. nobody. >> mark, you've been listening to sam next to you. i think work through a lot of these things that you worked through five years ago. any advise you can give him as you are with him right now? >> work in progress. still working through it as we were just discussing. i'll say i have so much admiration for incredible voice of these high school young people. they are making a huge impact in

this country. they are not going to put up with this. and they are going to get results. and i'm going to it be here to support you. and i'm going to offer you the same advice that my dear friend vice president joe biden offered to us, which is go home, take care of yourself. this is a long hard rode. and please, please don't just take care of yourself. >> thank you. >> more important, sam, thanks so much for being with us. sam, please lean on the man beside you. i think he is a font of wisdom that he has. >> i'll. >> lucky for all of us that he's there. so thanks very much. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> outfront next, breaking news, russia warned the trump administration saying tonight they have taken direct action to address meddling in the 2018 election. so what is it? and the president pledges to, quoted, get things done. when is he going to get more specific? ♪

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welcome back to special edition of outfront looking at live pictures outside sunrise, florida, less than 90 minutes away from special cnn town hall students demand action. also breaking news from washington, trump administration has warned russia personal to vladimir putin himself according to firmofficials. pamela brown is outfront now. >> highest level officials in moscow, including vladimir putin the president of russia to not medal in the 2018 election. one of the officials i spoke to says he has been warned. we have sent a clear message to russia not to do it. and this official also says that

part of the warning to russia is that it will have severe consequences, severe negative consequences. and could do a lot of damage to the relationship if it does meddle in the 2016 elections as it has before. now, of course john, you can ask the question, under the obama administration there were at least three warnings directly to russia, john brennan and his counterpart and between president obama and president putin and they continued to meddle in the 2016 election. but when i pressed on that there were other measures direct action the administration is taking it cannot discuss because it is classified. i also asked if president trump has spoken directly to president putin about this matter. and the official wouldn't say, but said that it is using other channels with other professionals that are, quote, more effective to get the message across to moscow. but of course all of this is against this back drop, john, of the president tweeting recently

that his administration has been tougher on russia than the obama administration. and his top aides have had to back down stories they feel are unfair that have been skeptical of that claim considering the fact that other sanctions have not been imposed since january 29th, the administration is saying that it's going through a punitive review that is ongoing and that more action could be taken. john. >> pamela brown at the white house for us tonight. pamela, thanks so much. outfront now, former cia and nsa director michael haden. thanks for being with us. president trump has been reluctant in the past to admit russia has admitted in the election. barely done it at all. now the administration claiming they have warned russians including vladimir putin not to interfere in the 2018 election. how significant is this? >> first of all, to the degree that is true, that is really good news. but frankly i don't think the administration, here i don't think i'm being hyper critical,

i don't think the administration has earned the benefit of the doubt in terms of russian meddling in american response to it. so i'd like to learn an awful lot more about this. fran frankly, john, within the last week, both the president and vice president russian meddling had absolutely no effect on the american election of that year. which is not i think a good premise to begin with. if you want to go back now and threaten the russians about future intervention. >> also not the findings of the intelligence community. they say it's not the finding in the indictments handed up last week. rod rosenstein said there is no allegation in this indictment but he limited it to that. also, pamela brown reporting, she didn't get a direct answer whether president trump had directed this message directly to vladimir putin but the body language was no, it wasn't president trump it was from other chan elgs. does it need to be from the president himself? >> i think so.

either directly through vladimir putin or can speak through the international news media to the russian president. let's keep in mind i don't want to be skeptical here but not willing to grant the benefit of the doubt here. john, the last time the two presidents met, our president said i believe him. when he says they didn't do it. >> again, one reason to be skeptical is it because of what we heard from the intelligence cleaves. what was it just last week when they said they hadn't received direct instructions from the president yet to stop russian interference. listen to this. >> we are taking a lot of specific efforts to blunt direction. >> by the president? >> not specifically directed by the president. >> director pompeo, have you received a presidential direction to take steps to disrupt these activities? >> i'm not sure how specific. >> for us, i can't say i've been explicitly directed to, quote, blunt or actively stop. >> right. so that moment definitely

happened. let's look at it from the other side. what would it take for the russians to get the message u.s. is serious here? >> well, i think we would have to act in extraordinary way, john. so what you had was five intelligence chiefs here so i think if you were able to talk to them in classified environment could list the things they are doing individually within their own lane to blunt the russian effort. but what we need here is a synchronized whole of government many and dare i say, john, whole of society response to what the russians did to effect american thinking in electoral processes in 2016. that has extraordinary structure none of what we get in the system without the president. >> let me ask you about the shooting last week. we'll hear from the town hall tonight. she said this is a homeland security issue.

so it does dove tail to some of the areas you are so notched in right now. >> one of the remarkable things we have seen over the last few days is conspiracy theories about the survivors of this shooting. people saying that these students are actors who are speaking out. other folks saying they are marching because george sore ross is paying for them to march. you know, from where you sit as someone deeply concerned about u.s. security intelligence, what role do these conspiracy theories play and what should we think about them? >> actually, john, your second question relates to the first topic that we discussed. russian bots, out right media here, some major news organizations and occasionally the president them self try to delegitimate opposition. by saying they are fronts for someone else. now we have these very genuine

young people, rather than arguing the point they are raising, we are seeing an effort to invalidate them by saying they are front from someone else. it's a suggestion of one, fractures in our society, and, two, john, fractures that russian effort is trying to exploit. >> general, sobering warning. thanks for being with us. >> thank you. >> outfront next, what will president trump do now that he's heard employepleas like this? >> i didn't think it would happen to me. if i knew that i would be at the school every day if i knew it was that dangerous. that's enough. >> and breaking news, deputies in broward county schools ordered to carry heavy gun power on school grounds. up next my guest.

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h. breaking news, just whoever an hour away from cnn special town hall on guns just one week after the school massacre in parkland, florida. town hall comes hours after prumtd held a listening centers with parents and students trying to prevent another tragedy. and there was this photo showing

president trump note card. five points we can see three of them. the first two is what would you want me to know about your experience. what can we do to make you feel safe. and finally i hear you. outfront senior political analyst, chief political gloria borger. first to you, we are looking at the note card. i think i hear you. as the president had to be reminded to empathize. but the first two questions are spot on or what i think the people in the room wanted asked and people in this town hall want asked tonight as well. >> i think so. in that regard i think the president went out of his way to just be a listener. he did sort of talk about the question of whether concealed carry might be something people oul ought to think about for teachers. but generally the president is

in listening mode. i don't think you have to remind yourself to be em pa thitic, not one of the president's great skills as we know. but i do think the people walked away today thinking they were heard and there was no vit real which we are so used to in the debate inside the room at least. and the president was hearing them out. >> david gur begin, we have seen presidents acted before in these times, president obama, comforter in chief. how did president trump do today? there were divergent views in that room. >> sure. i think we should cut him some slack on the note cards. presidents go into rooms like this and emotional, and they may they'd need themselves, they need those and bring those in. and in this case he deserves credit for bringing people in and listening. but the real test is what action he takes. so far what we are hearing from the white house are mostly half

measures. even the controversial measure about lifting the age to 21 before you can buy an assault weapon. if you look back at the 14 deadliest mass shootings, 11 of them were committed by people over 21. the problem is not the age particularly. that's a piece of it. but if you really want to get action, what about the other 11 who got their hands on big guns and shot down a lot of people. >> you saw cut the president slack over the card. this event was not about the president. so many events the president attends seem to revolve around him. this wasn't about him. >> i agree. >> he seated there and listened but didn't make it about him. mark preston, david brought up this fascinating issue whether or not the age limit to purchase an ar-a 15 rivfle raised from 1

to 21. the nra comes out with a statement that they are opposed to this. they are opposed to raising the age limit to buy an ar-15 to 21. where does this debate go now? will the president take a stand on this? >> well, there is going to be several fronts about this debate right now. of course you have liberals and democrats that are clearly on one side. you have the nra on the other side. part of the republican party that's in the middle that want to see some sensible gun solutions that perhaps the nra doesn't care about. but you also have a lot of republicans, and quite frankly democrats who are from states in the midwest and down in the south who agree with the nra. now the president himself we never know which way he's going when it comes to specific policy issues. what he said today, though, i think caught the national rifle association off-guard. i think it caught conservatives off-guard. but i don't think they are too surprised by it. this has happened on the past on

other pieces of legislation in the year plus that he's been in office. but i do have to say this, john, tonight is going to be amazing moment. they'll be more than 7,000 people in this arena behind me. think about that. a town hall with 7,000 people. there is going to be high emotions. but we are going to hear from the nra. they did anthropology your invitation and that does say something for them to come here. as well as senator marco rubio who has come under criticism support of gun measures that many in this hall do not favor. >> we'll talk about marco rubio in this. age limits, this isn't a giant thing, necessarily. >> no. >> this feels like a very narrow thing that, jeff, flake, republican from arizona measure with diane feinstein democrat on this, there are republicans for it. it seems like there is an area there could be agreement. but even on this the nra is

saying no. >> sure. and what you are doing is anybody link around the edges. doing a little bit of this and that. and maybe you'll change background checks. who knows if you can even get that done. that couldn't get done aven aftafte after knew nowtown. i think the president says he is not bought bit nra who contributed millions of dollars to elect him, i think this is a fomt for him when he says i am going to do this and i don't care if the nra support me or not. and the question is whether he can bring along conservative republicans who are afraid of being primary in their home districts by more conservative republicans who are pro second amendment and say i'm going to do whatever the nra says no matter what. >> seems he can do this. the president could get this much done if he wanted to.

>> absolutely. this is a test presidential courage. it's one of the moments you can line it up and say, he acted presidential today. is he going to have the guts. is he going to stand up to special interests groups. great presidents have done this in moments like this t they have recognized needs of the country and acted appropriately. you cannot listen to those kids and not think he ought to do something bold and courageous. >> i'm interested to see what the nra says about this tonight. you brought up marco rubio who has complicated relationship with guns going back far weigh. after the orlando shooting he got back because he felt the issues were important right now. do you think he'll move on >> sing everyone is going to have to remove. will it go as far as people in this building want him to go?

we have never seen this political action certainly not in reseent timnt times. >> thanks so much for being with us. "outfront" next. a mayor who asks this question, when did we decide that we love our childr our guns more than our children. >> we understand the violence that comes through certain guns. the morning walk was so peaceful.

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if i can ask you we just heard deputies will be at local school grounds throughout the county carrying rifles. do you believe that is the right solution here? >> i'm not going to second-guess the sheriff, but as a teacher for a long time, i hate to think that it has come to that, i'll be honest, but i can understand for the time being if it is going to make some of the students feel a little safer, maybe it's a short-term thing to do. >> you're sitting in the hall tonight where there is going to be a massive cnn town hall, what do you want to hear tonight? >> first of all, i am extremely proud of the students of broward county. they don't have a filter and they are willing to ask and question the lawmakers as to

what their thoughts are and i think they are going to demand explanations so i am very much looking forward to hearing what they have to say and hearing the dialogue. >> we looked at remarkable pictures today all day of students from across florida and across the country walking out of their classroom to show solidarity. what did you think when those kids walked out of class today? >> well, i think these kids have absolutely sparked a fire not only here, but throughout the united states. we're hearing from kids from all over the place and these kids have really, are saying what they want -- i'm sorry, the anthem is about to go on. excuse me, just a moment. >> mr. mayor, we are going to let you listen to that. i don't think it is appropriate

to be talking over it. thank you for being with us. this movement, this call for action might not be growing at all had some teenagers remained silent. instead these students armed with passion and voice decided to speak out and take a stand. >> i do not know exactly what needs to be done. i just know what we are doing now is nowhere near enough yeah, the time for change wasn't now. the time for change was years ago. >> my innocence, our innocence has been taken from us. >> for the politicians if you are not with us, you are against us. >> how dare you tell us we don't know what we are talking about. >> a 19-year-old who can't purchase an alcoholic beverage should not be allowed to

purchase an ar-15. >> we are not letting the united states be run by that terrorist organization. >> our blood. your hands! >> knowing that you had the opportunity to ban assault weapons and you didn't, like are you proud of that now? >> are you kidding me? now is the time to focus on the past and not the future? >> our blood is on your hands. >> if donald trump wanted to listen to us, he should have taken the first invitation. >> they say that tougher gun laws -- we call b.s. we call b.s. >> we are not puppets. we are very astute and capable individuals who want to see change in our country because we

know we are the leaders of the future. >> the voices of the students from the marjory stoneman douglas high school. students who are leaders of this discussion and who will be at the center of the cnn town hall. there has been movement in this front. president trump hinting that he is open to raising the age limit. the nra say they oppose it. what will they say about it tonight? as you just heard moments ago, broward county has announced that deputies with rifles will be at the school when they return to school next week in parkland, florida. thank you for joining us.

cnn's live town hall comes up at 9:00 p.m. good evening, the world is watching. those were the president's parting words today. he began the session by saying i want to listen, and after i listen, we're going to get things done. because he said the world is watching. tonight the conversation shifts to this arena not far from parkland where cnn town hal is about to take place. thousands of residents in attendance, members of law enforcement, teachers, parents and community leaders and most of all students will be there asking questions standing up as we have seen with poise and power and with pain. earlier today students