Betsy DeVos, a wealthy heiress from rural Southwestern Michigan who ended up being in charge of the Department of Education through a series of fluke events, just finished what she described as "a very sobering visit" to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
DeVos appeared shell-shocked in a press conference given after meeting with survivors of the Parkland shooting, repeatedly swallowing hard, clearing her throat into the microphone and forcing tight smiles.
"I heard a variety of things from the students I spoke with," she said. "For students who were actually in the building, involved—it's, it's very tough."
So DeVos did what Mr. Rogers said to do, and "looked for the helpers."
She found dogs. And she was very taken with these dogs. When asked how the students were coping, she mostly talked about the dogs.
"I did note, however, that there are a number of helper dogs around the school—comfort dogs," she said. "I spoke with a small group of students who are having a particularly tough time and when I asked them if they had any opportunity to connect with the dogs, all of their faces lit up in an amazing way. So that was encouraging."
The warm feelings associated with the dogs were ruined a few minutes later when DeVos had to maintain that "arming teachers" was "a mischaracterization" of her boss' plan to arm teachers.
DeVos broke with Republicans who have tried to stifle the survivors in their push for gun control, encouraging the students to speak up and push for reforms.
"They have a lot of really important and worthwhile things to say," she said.
You can watch the press conference below.
