OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former President Donald Trump rocked the stage at the National Rifle Association convention, and he took aim at two politicians when he did.
The first was not a surprise, as he laid into President Joe Biden and Democrats for the way they politicized the tragedy in Uvalde Texas where 19 children and two teachers were murdered.
“Sadly, before the sun had even said on the horrible day of tragedy we witnessed a now-familiar parade of cynical politicians seeking to exploit the tears of sobbing families to increase their own power and take away our constitutional rights,” the former president said.
“Every time a disturbed or demented person commits such a hideous crime, there’s always a grotesque effort. by someone in our society to use the suffering of others to advance their own extreme political agenda,” he said.
“When Joe Biden blamed the gun lobby, he was talking about Americans like you,” he said to the crowd. “Along with countless other Democrats this week, he was shamefully suggesting that Republicans are somehow okay with letting school shootings happen.”
“This rhetoric is highly divisive and dangerous, and, most importantly, it’s wrong. Has no place in our politics. As always, in the wake of these tragedies, the various gun control policies being pushed by the left would have done nothing to prevent the horror that took place. Absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, ever since Columbine, we’ve been afflicted by a contagion of school shootings carried out by deeply evil, violent and mentally disturbed young men,” the former president said.
“While we don’t yet know enough about this week’s killing, we know there are many things we must do,” the president said. “We need to drastically change our approach to mental health. There are always so many warning signs. Almost all of these disfigured minds share the same profile.”
“Teachers, parents, school officials, and community members need to be recognizing and addressing these alarm bells promptly and very, very aggressively,” he said.. “And our school discipline systems, instead of making excuses and continually turning a blind eye, need to confront bad behavior head on and quickly. And clearly we need to make it far easier to confine the violent and mentally deranged into mental institutions.”
“If the United States has $40 billion to send to Ukraine, we should be able to do whatever it takes to keep our children safe at home, the former president said. “We spent trillions in Iraq, trillions in Afghanistan, and got nothing. Before we nation-build the rest of the world, we should be building safe schools for our own children in our own nation. Right?”
At the start of his speech he took the time to mourn the people who had lost their lives in the tragedy.
“Each precious young soul that was taken is an incomprehensible loss, literally not comprehensible, stolen from us by a malice that no words can describe, sickness. The monster who committed this crime is pure evil, pure cruelty, pure hatred, absolute pure hatred. And while those he slaughtered are now with God in heaven, he will be eternally damned to burn in the fires of hell,” the former president said.
“As we mourn for so many beautiful victims, I know that everyone here joins me in praying for the families who are suddenly missing the brightest light in their lives. We see their agony, we ask God to ease their suffering and to heal their pain and together we grieve side by side as one great American family,” he said.
And he took a minor swipe, in what was a surprise, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott who did not attend the event, canceling at the last minute and sending a video message.
“I’m honored to be here in the great state of Texas with the wonderful patriots of the NRA,” he said. “And unlike some, I did not disappoint you by not showing up.”
“You gotta show up,” he said.
