after that emotional exchange from sam zeif, president trump said that he endorsed the possibility of staff. he said that it took on average between five and eight minutes for so—called first responders to reach the scene ofa first responders to reach the scene of a school shooting. he said that by carefully arming the certain staff, that could be cut down and presumably death tolls could be cut down to two in these sorts of cases. he called for an end to gun free zones in america and around schools, this is what president trump had to say. a good thing about a suggestion like that, we will be looking at very strongly and i think a lot of people will be opposed to it and a lot of people will like it. the good thing is you will have a lot of people with that, you can't have 100 security guards in stone and the will is —— stoneman douglas. that is a massive school with a lot of acreage to cover. a lot of floor area, that would be a situation that is being discussed by a lot of people. you have a lot of people that could be armed, professionals, they may be marines that with the marines,

sam zeif, a senior at marjory stoneman douglas high school and his father, doug zeif. >> sam, we heard what you were talking about yesterday with the president. do you get some sense that you were heard and that you've been heard in this whole matter? is there some sense that there will be some work to fix what happened last week? >> well, i know i was heard because i saw it on trump's little card, i hear you, but i don't think i was felt by him. honestly, i'm confident, seeing the impact that my group and i and the other people at the white house have made since yesterday, gives me a lot of confidence in us. a lot more than i had the day before. >> you must be making an impact because they're calling you and some of your colleagues crisis actors. they're saying that you are manipulated by the left and the media. this morning, the terminology used by the nra was socialists. >> doug, what do you say about that? seeing what your family has experienced in the last week, your son speaking out in such an articulate manner, what do you think of the things being said about him and the other s

one of those in attendance was a pupil at the parklands school, sam zeif.y this type of weapon? afterwards, he was dismissive about the president's plan. arming teachers is just not what we need. you know? this is a problem because guns were brought into our school. why would it make sense to bring more guns into school? and the president has held another white house meeting today to discuss the issue, promising action that will win the support of many of the students. i think we are making a lot of progress, and i can tell you it is a tremendous feeling that we want to get something done. he wants increased background checks on those seeking to purchase weapons. to ban bump stocks — this is the device that turns a semiautomatic rifle into a machine—gun. and he backs raising the minimum age for buying a rifle to 21. to those arguing for comprehensive gun control measures, what donald trump is proposing might seem like teeny—weeny baby steps. but any measure will have to get congressional approval, and doing that is never achieved without a fight. and no—one

. >> sam zeif lost a class mate. >> woke up to the news that my best friend is gone. i don't understand why i can go into a store and buy a weapon of war. >> the mother of a student that was killed at sandy hook made an emotional plea. >> you don't want to be me. no parent does. and you have the ability to make a difference and save lives today. >> reporter: students con fronted lawmakers. and tonight a cnn town hall discussion included a spokesperson from the nra. >> none of us support people who are crazy, a danger to themselves danger to others getting their hands on a firearm. >> reporter: as for the president, he is asking for ideas. >> going on too long. too many instances and we are going to get it done. >> reporter: signaling support for strengthening background checks and raising the age. >>> sheriff deputies will now carry ar-15 rifles in the schools of florida county. tonight president trump is suggesting arming teachers could help stop school massacres. that is an idea that pennsylvania lawmakers are already pushing. 18 states including new jersey give sch

these are weapons of war. >> that was sam zeif student at marjory stoneman douglas high school today.oining us now is a science teacher and marjory stoneman douglas and paula reed, a teacher at columbine high school, she's been a teacher there since 1996. shawn simpson, i want to start with you. feel free, i mean this to both of you, to share any thoughts you have about this, i don't mean to control what you have to say about this, but we are interested in your reaction to the president's idea of arming teachers, that that's the solution, that's how to deal with assault weapons coming into the schools, senator rubio, florida republican senator, has opposed that. but shawn simpson, your reaction to that, especially since he cited the coach, not sure which coach since three were killed at your school, the president believes if one of them had a gun, it would have ended right there. >> larry, i don't know if that's even possible, to be true. i know aaron and christopher and mr. biegel were heroes in what they did. i'm not sure having a firearm would have changed that for those three. i h

nicole hockley, sam zeif, thank you very much for being with us. your personal experience with us in trying to make schools safer and the whole country safer. that's going to do it for us from parkland, florida. as we part, we want to just show you again the faces of the 17 lives lost in the school behind me. teachers and students who showed up for school thinking that they were just going to have a day of education, and obviously lives across the country have been changed as a result of what happened last week. here they are. we'll be with cnn "newsroom" and john berman right now. >>> good morning everyone. john berman here. something changed. right before our eyes, it changed. the national discussion on

one of the survivors you spoke with in your article, sam zeif, this bugged him. >> absolutely. it's not uncommon for presidents to go into any event with a note card, talking points, reminders, biographical data, here is what you'll be speaking to, the facts and figures on the issues you'll be talking about. it's surprising the president isn't self aware snuff to hide it. what struck people about the card is what was written on it, the fact it underscored the notion that he has to be reminded to show some sort of human compassion or empathy. sam zeif said he spoke from the heart in that meeting and everything he said was from his heart and hiss head. he felt the president was less than sincere when he saw he was holding that note. >> listen, whatever the president's personal failing are in this situation, i think we should give credit for that listening session. that was an extraordinary moment in the white house. people who were there got to say whatever they wanted, and it was sort of an open forum and people expressed grief and anger and suggestions, and it was just -- it se

. >> reporter: and then a plea from sam zeif, who lost his best friend. >> i turned 18 the day after, woke up to the news that my best friend was gone. and i don't understand why i can still go in a store and buy a weapon of war. >> reporter: president trump surveyed the group on the idea of arming teachers. >> does anybody like that idea here, does anybody like it? right? yes? for meadow your beautiful meadow. you talked about that. and do people feel strongly against it anybody? anybody? strongly against it. all right, i mean look we can understand both sides. and certainly it's controversy. but we'll study that many other ideas. >> reporter: this morning, the president seemed some what conflicted. first tweeting "i never said give teachers guns." and then clarifying he meant "teachers with military or special training experience, only the best." by this afternoon, he was po idea as the solution to ending mass shootings once and for all. >> i think a concealed permit for having teachers and letting people know that there are in the building with a gun, you won't have in my opinion,

>> reporter: sam zeif, a student at marjorie stoneman douglas high school.n i lot of a best friend, practically a brother. and i'm here to use my voice because i know he can't. >> reporter: zeif spoke of the eemiautomatic rifle used at the high school massacre, the ar-15. >> i turned 18 the day after, woke up to the news that my best friend was gone. and i don't understand why i can still go in a store and buy a weapon of war, an a.r. how is it that easy to buy this type of weapon? how do we not stop this after columbine, after sandy hook? i'm sitting with a mother that lost her son. ti's still happening. or reporter: the mother next to zeif, nicole hockley, whose son dylan was murdered in the sandy hook elementary school shooting in 2012. >> this is not difficult. these deaths are preventable. and i implore you, consider your own children. you don't want to be me. no parent does. >> reporter: the president said he would strengthen background checks and look to increase mental health services. mr. trump said he was open to all ideas on improving school safet

one of those in attendance was a pupil at the parklands school, sam zeif.it that easy to buy this type of weapon? afterwards, he was dismissive about the president's plan. arming teachers is just not what we need. you know? this is a problem because guns were brought into our school. why would it make sense to bring more guns into school? and the president has held another white house meeting today to discuss the issue, promising action that will win the support of many of the students. i think we are making a lot of progress, and i can tell you it is a tremendous feeling that we want to get something done. he wants increased background checks on those seeking to purchase weapons. to ban bump stocks — this is the device that turns a semiautomatic rifle into a machine—gun. and he backs raising the minimum age for buying a rifle to 21. to those arguing for comprehensive gun control measures, what donald trump is proposing might seem like teeny—weeny baby steps. but any measure will have to get congressional approval, and doing that is never achieved without a

seemed visibly moved at times by the accounts that he listened to, including that from one pupil — sam zeiforida shooting last week. this is what he had to say. i turned 18 the day after, woke up to the news that my best friend was gone. and i don't understand why i can still go in a store and buy a weapon of war. an ar. i was reading today that a person 20 years old walked into a store and bought an ar—15 with an expired id. how is it that easy? how do we not stop this after columbine, after sandy hook? i am sitting with a mother who lost her son. it is still happening. shortly after that emotional exchange from samuel zeif, president trump said that he endorsed the possibility of arming teachers and other members of school staff. he said that it took on average between five and eight minutes for so—called first responders to reach the scene of a school shooting. he said that by carefully arming certain staff, that could be cut down and presumably death tolls could be cut down too, in these sorts of cases. he called for an end to gun—free zones here in america and around schools. this is w

one of those in attendance was a pupil at the parklands school, sam zeif.e of weapon? afterwards, he was dismissive about the president's plan. arming teachers is just not what we need. you know? this is a problem because guns were brought into our school. why would it make sense to bring more guns into school? and the president has held another white house meeting today to discuss the issue, promising action that will win the support of many of the students. i think we are making a lot of progress, and i can tell you it is a tremendous feeling that we want to get something done. he wants increased background checks on those seeking to purchase weapons and to ban bump stocks — this is the device that turns a semiautomatic rifle into a machine gun. and he backs raising the minimum age for buying a rifle to 21. to those arguing for comprehensive gun control measures, what donald trump is proposing might seem like teeny—weeny baby steps. but any measure will have to get congressional approval, and doing that is never achieved without a fight. and no—one fights

. >> sam zeif is a senior at marjorie stone in douglas high school. he's here with his father doug. sam, first, the entire nation is watching all of you in a kind of wawe at the grace you've shown and we send our condolences obviously. watching the president a day after that listening session sort of ruminate about teachers carrying weapons and hardening schools, what was going through your mind? >> it's not right. teachers, they don't go to get degrees to shoot. they get degrees to teach to, mold young lives every single day, to mentor, to build relationships, to love and protect. but how can you put that responsibility on a teacher of knowing whether or not they're going to have to point a gun at their students that day? what happens when a teacher and a student get into the an argument and the teacher thinks the student is a little more sensitive to the subject and after the argument, the student reaches in their bag for a school supply and the teacher thinks they're reaching for a gun so they pull the gun out on them first and -- the rest is history. >> yeah. doug, what do you th

. >> sam zeif such an impress i have and composed high school senior who lost his best friend in thehooting as he appeared on our broadcast last night. we talked about how his peers across the country are leaving their mark on history. we first saw sam in his remarks in the white house yesterday in a society mass shootings -- compared to where gun ownership is off the charts. there is the feeling this may be a moment, while these 17 lost souls won't be the last, when you think about it it was students who turned the tide in the vietnam war, in birmingham it was students who made washington take notice. and these survivors have already had to face criticism and trolls. in her column, this week, she wrote, in response to their blooming activism too many supposed adults fuelled by right wing media and pun dents are mocking these young people. many think they can succeed where we failed, it doesn't matter what we think. the impatience we may have with these young people is no match for their impatience with us. they are sick of our hypocrisy, our unwillingness to hold nra funded official

. >> reporter: sam zeif lost his best friend. >> let's be strong for the fallen who don't have a voice to speak anymore. and let's never let this happen again. please please >> reporter: nicole hockley's 6-year-old son, dylan, was murdered at sandy hook. >> you don't want to be me no parent does you have the ability to make a difference and save lives today. please don't waste this. >> reporter: president trump vowing action. >> it's not going to be talk like it has been in the past it's been going on too long. too many instances and we're going to get it done. >> reporter: the president with talking points in his hands including one reading "i hear you. outside, loud protests, hundreds of high school students demanding something be done. worried they could be next >> it's a sincere fear am i next? could a school shooter be walking into my school, could i be sitting at my table trying to learn and i get shot >> reporter: president trump a fierce advocate for the second amendment. >> to the nra, i can proudly say, i will never, ever let you down >> reporter: now appearing open to modest

sam zeif and julia cordover joined the session yesterday.yan deitsch was part of the group lobbying florida lawmakers in that town hall meeting. thanks to all of you for joining us. sam, let me begin with you. it was movinging to see you there with the president yesterday. the idea he seemed most engaged by yesterday was this idea of arming teachers. what was your reaction to that? >> i was in shock. i really couldn't believe that he would even think of the idea of putting that responsibility on teachers. teachers need to focus and they do a great job of focusing on molding the minds of the future like julia and i, and how can you give them the responsibility of going to school every day and not knowing if they're going to have to kill one of their students or not and knowing that they have the option to. >> and, julia, that was a pretty extraordinary back and forth with the president with all -- everybody in that room yesterday. do you think he heard what you all were saying? what was your response to all that? >> yes, i believe that he hea

nicole hockley, sam zeif, thank you very much for being with us. thank you for sharing your personal experience with us in trying to make schools safer and the whole country safer. that's going to do it for us from parkland, florida. as we part, we want to just show you again the faces of the 17 lives lost in the school behind me. teachers and students who showed up for school thinking that they were just going to have a day of education, and obviously lives across the country have been changed as a result of what happened last week. here they are. we'll be with cnn "newsroom" and john berman right now. >>> good morning everyone. john berman here. something changed. right before our eyes, it changed. the national discussion on guns is different this morning. it might not be big change, lasting change, the kind that will satisfy everyone, but it happened. it is worthy of note and it happened largely because of the voices of the students of stoneman douglas high school. breaking news, just moments ago, the president declared unambiguously that he sup

. >> thank you, sam zeif.great to you on again. >> thank you. >> a cpac spokesperson says michael steele only got his position as chairman of the republican national committee because, quote, he was black. what is happening with the conservative movement when they say stuff like that? anyway, this is "hardball," where the action is. [cars honking] [car accelerating] you can switch and save worry. ♪ you can switch and save hassle. [vacuuming sound] and when you switch to esurance, you can save time, worry, hassle and yup, money. in fact, drivers who switched from geico to esurance saved hundreds. so you might want to think about pulling the ol' switcheroo. that's auto and home insurance for the modern world. esurance. an allstate company. click or call. this is food made to sit down for. slow down for. put the phone away, and use a knife and fork for. and with panera catering, it's food worth sharing. panera. food as it should be. if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis,sharing. little things can be a b

sam zeif who lived through the horrific shootingdisagrees.sam zeif / shooting survivorto think aboutot knowing if they're going to have to shoot me that day, because i'm reaching in my backpack for a pencil after we get into an argument and they're not sure how i'm going to react. it's absolute madness.the father and son say they support the second amendment but they believe the founding fathers never envisioned assault weapons.in washington alexandra limon (steve) president trump says he is considering withdrawing immigration and customs enforcement agents from california. he suggested it would be a punishment for the state's "lousy management job" in patrolling illegal immigration. according to the president... crime in california would explode without immigration and border patrol agencies... partially because of violent gangs. california became the nation's first 'sanctuary state' last month... limiting the degree to which state and local agencies can cooperate with ice agents. the president says california is protecting 'horrible criminals.' (pam) a california state senator, ton

. >> a powerful moment, and that student, samuel zeif joins me now. samank you for being with us. again, want to send our condolences to your family and friends for everything that you've been through. and i first want to ask you about what happened today. you returned to marjory stoneman douglas high school for the first time since the shooting. just tell us what that was like. >> thanks for having me, ryan. it was crazy being back in there. you know, it was a lot of memories came back and i didn't want to go. i had to get my backpack, but the main reason that i went was because i'm lucky, you know, there's people there. and i only have to go there for three more months. there's people there, including my little brother who have to go there for three, four more years. who have to work there for who knows how long? who have to carry on forever. i'm kind of looking at waiting for the day to graduate and get out of there. but like i said, my little brother is going to be there for three years. my other little brother is going to be there for four years, him