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Donald Trump Jr.—an avid gun rights advocate—was harshly criticized after he claimed guns are not to blame for the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
In fact, Trump Jr. said the shooter who killed 19 children and two teachers in the worst school shooting since the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 could've been just as successful had he only had a "bat."
Missing from Trump Jr.'s assessment, which he revealed in a video posted to social media, is that guns are critical in the amount of destruction a shooter can wreak, and assault weapons make it remarkably easy for shooters to kill numerous people very quickly.
You can hear what Trump Jr. said in the video below:
\u201cJunior went on a wild rant about Uvalde tonight, saying the AR-15 isn\u2019t the issue because he could\u2019ve done the \u201cexact same thing\u201d with a bat, bomb or machete. He says gun owners are unfairly \u201cstigmatatized,\u201d and the real problem is that \u201ccrazy teachers\u201d are indoctrinating kids.\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1653788162
In his remarks, Trump Jr. mocked those who would blame the shooting on the gun but "not the sociopath wielding it."
He added:
"If it wasn't for the gun, this kid would be a well-adjusted, reasonable individual — he'd be a wonderful human being, right?"
“He wouldn’t have done the exact same thing with a bat, or a bomb, or some sort of improvised device — or a machete?”
Trump Jr. went on to claim that the mass shooting is the result of “crazy teachers” and “indoctrination programs” in United States schools.
Trump Jr. was swiftly criticized, with many pointing out the very obvious holes in his logic.
\u201cI was going to make fun of this, because this guy is a clown.\n\nBut I can\u2019t. \n\nLittle children were slaughtered. Little kids. \n\nThis guy has kids that age. \n\nWhat a waste of skin this guy is. So sad in so many ways.\u201d— Seamus Blackley (@Seamus Blackley) 1653869584
\u201cPlease tell me when a single person has ever killed 19 people in less than an hour with a bat or machete?\u201d— chris evans (@chris evans) 1653868712
\u201cI'd volunteer to be 1 of 21 people locked in a classroom with Jr who can be armed with a bat. Volunteers can utilize anything in the classroom. How do you think it would turn out? I'm guessing he'd be disarmed immediately, he'd curl into fetal position & cry like a baby.\u201d— Cat K (@Cat K) 1654097785
\u201cNo. You absolutely could not have done the exact same thing with a bat or a machete.\n\nYou could *maybe* have done the same thing with a bomb. Which is why the federal government heavily regulates fertilizer and other materials that can be used to make improvised explosives.\u201d— Matthew Chapman (@Matthew Chapman) 1653818114
\u201cGOP: Crazy teachers are indoctrinating our kids! We can\u2019t trust them to come up with their own curriculum! \n\nAlso GOP: let\u2019s arm teachers to prevent school shootings\u201d— Angry Staffer \ud83c\udf3b (@Angry Staffer \ud83c\udf3b) 1653831309
\u201cNarrow-shouldered trust fund sociopath offering up suggestions for future mass murderers.\u201d— Bob Cesca (@Bob Cesca) 1653838522
\u201cBig mass machete murder problem we have in this country eh\u201d— rabia O'chaudry (@rabia O'chaudry) 1653848407
\u201cI\u2019d like to see someone try to kill two dozen people with a baseball bat.\n\nDo these asshats even listen to themselves?\u201d— Cliston Brown (@Cliston Brown) 1653844562
\u201cThis guy will run for president some day. Bet on it. Does he actually believe the shooter would have killed 19 with a bat or machete? No, but he has internalized dad\u2019s demagoguery.\u201d— Jonathan Alter (@Jonathan Alter) 1653869352
Trump Jr.'s claims deflect from the reality that the shooter obtained assault-style weapons thanks to loose gun restrictions.
Authorities identified the shooter as an 18-year-old male who was a resident of Uvalde and a student at Uvalde High School. He purchased two semi-automatic rifles through a local gun store earlier this month, just days after his birthday.
Last year, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed a law that loosened gun restrictions, allowing individuals who are 18 years or older to legally purchase long guns, which include shotguns and rifles.
Earlier this week, Abbott was loudly booed by the crowd as he arrived at a memorial to honor the lives of those killed in the shooting.
The response to Abbott's appearance lies in stark contrast to the warm welcome that President Joe Biden has received in Uvalde, coming after he consoled the victims and families of those who were killed by a White supremacist during a mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York earlier this month.