JD Vance faces backlash after calling school shootings ‘fact of life’ – National
Republican Vice Presidential Candidate JD Vance faces anger from Democrats after decrying school shootings as a “fact of life” and advocating for increased security over stricter gun control.
“If these psychopaths come after our children, we have to be prepared,” Vance said at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, just a day after a terrorist attack. Georgia school shooting leaves four dead.
“We don’t have to like the reality we live in, but it is the reality we live in. We have to deal with it.”
Asked by a reporter what steps should be taken to stop school shootings, the Ohio senator dismissed Democrats’ argument for tougher gun laws, saying shootings happen in states with both lax and strict laws. Instead, he said it makes more sense to give schools more money for security.
“I don’t like that this is a reality,” Vance said. “But if you’re a psychopath and you want to make headlines, you know our schools are easy targets. And we need to have more security in our schools. We need to have more security so that if a psychopath wants to walk through the front door and kill a bunch of kids, he can’t do it.”
Vance said he doesn’t like the idea of his own children going to a school with heightened security, “but that’s increasingly the reality we live in.”
His comments were immediately picked up by Kamala Harris presidential campaign team.
“It doesn’t have to be this way. We can and will take action to protect our children,” read a message sent to X by the Democratic presidential candidate, along with an excerpt of Vance’s comments.
Harris’ running mate, Governor Tim Walzalso weighed in, posting: “This is pathetic. We can’t abandon our children, they deserve better.”
The Democratic National Committee also criticized Vance in a statementwriting: “Let’s be clear: No matter what Donald Trump and JD Vance say, tragedies like this do not have to be a “fact of life,” and we do not simply have to “get over it” when Americans, including young children, are violently murdered.”
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But Vance has doubled down on his efforts to speak out on Phoenix, posting on X: “Kamala wants to take away security from our schools instead of protecting our children. Instead of addressing her own failures, she lies about what I said. More desperation from the biggest fraud in American politics.”
He called the Georgia shootings a “terrible tragedy” and said the families needed prayers and sympathy.
Vance spokesman William Martin also defended the politician’s comments, criticizing the Associated Press for a headline that said did not include full context of Vance’s statement, telling Fox News, “This is yet another case of fake news media “to lie brazenly about a Republican politician.”
The Associated Press later corrected his initial title — “JD Vance Says School Shootings Are ‘Fact of Life,’ Calls for Better Safety,” — read “JD Vance Says He Laments School Shootings Are ‘Fact of Life,’” and wrote on X that they updated their filing “to add context to Vance’s partial quote.”
The father of the 14-year-old suspect accused of killing four people at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, has been arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
State authorities announced the charges against Colin Gray, 54, on Thursday. He was also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children.
Authorities said Thursday that the charges were filed because the father “knowingly” allowed his son, 14-year-old Colt Gray, to possess the military-style rifle used in the shooting.
“His charges are directly related to the actions of his son,” Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said at Thursday night’s news conference.
If convicted on all counts, Colin faces a maximum prison sentence of 180 years.
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