TRANSCRIPT:
COOPER: “We heard from the president shortly after the shooting at your high school, obviously he struck a very different tone than he did today. Back then I talked to you you thought he was heading in the right direction when it came to gun control. What do you think today?”
KASKY: “Well, you know, he was saying some things that implied that he was stepping forward into the right direction for gun safety in this country and then he had a meeting with some NRA officials, a private meeting, and afterwards he came and claimed that the Second Amendment was under siege and he was going to defend it. So as to whether or not the NRA meeting changed his views, that’s kind of up to speculation, but I will tell you that is hopefully the first Russian-funded group he has met with.”
HOGG: “And I would like to say I think it really shows what he’s doing right now proves where his heart and wallet are, and that’s in the exact same place. One of the interesting things I thought Trump brought up was how we don’t talk about mental health yet in one of the most recent spending bills, they had they cut mental health spending for schools by over $25 million. That doesn’t sound like improving the mental health system for schools to me.”
COOPER: “Cameron, when the president was in that meeting with Democrats and Republicans he castigated the Republicans saying you’re scared of the NRA. Do you believe today he showed that he is scared of the NRA?”
KASKY: “I think he is very interested in the money that the NRA will bring him and that the NRA in turn gets from gun manufacturers. You know, the gun — the NRA used to boast itself as being an 'Average Joe' coalition of Americans who are trying to protect their Second Amendment rights and now you will see that they are getting a lot of kickbacks from gun manufacturers. So I don’t necessarily think Trump is scared of the NRA, I think Trump is very enamored with the financial support the NRA gives him."
HOGG: “I think people in the situation that are really scared would be the NRA. This is the first time they had the president and the vice president come out to the annual convention for the NRA. What they are seeing here is, what they are worried because the support we’ve been getting and the support we’ll have in mid-terms. Because like it or not, we don’t care if you are exact or Republican or Democrat, if you are supported with the NRA, you don’t stand with kids you stand with the gun manufacturers and the people making money off this fear and tragedy that is perpetuating itself.”