Shep Smith slams Trump for 'co-opting' NRA language on school shootings: He's parroting what LaPierre says

In a segment with Fox News’ Chris Wallace (dubbed “Wisdom from Wallace”), Shep Smith on Friday explained how Donald Trump is “co-opting” the National Rifle Association’s language following the Parkland school massacre earlier this month.

Wallace explained that despite Trump’s pledge to do something about the staggering rise in school shootings over the past few decades, he’s ability to act will be curbed by a Republican Congress.

“It's not at all certain that Congress is going to go with these,” Wallace said of Trump’s proposal, noting the lack of Congressional response after Sandy Hook in 2012.

“This president, yes does have clout with gun supporters that a Barack Obama didn't have and some credibility with them, but let's wait to see what happens when it gets to Congress,” Wallace suggested.

“I thought it was interesting around the edges, Chris,” Smith replied. “[NRA head] Wayne LaPierre, the spokesperson—and that’s what he is—for the NRA, which works by the way for the gun manufacturers, said we need to ‘harden’ our schools. I’d never heard the president use that word, I searched for it. And then after Wayne LaPierre said it, the president said it five or six times, ‘We need to harden the school.’ He is co-opting their language.”

“There's some things he's in line with the NRA, for instance having guns in schools,” Wallace said.

Wallace said after the massacre in Sandy Hook, it would have been “out there” to suggest arming teachers, “but that seems to be something that people are kind of agreeing on.”

“Obviously very controversial, the idea of arming teachers, the idea of armed people—whether it's the teachers, security, whatever—-inside schools seams to be part of the solution here almost certainly,” Wallace said.

“Chris, there's so many people that are so, so against that,” Smith said. “You actually think that they may end up arming, as the president put it, 20 to 40 percent of the able and trained people inside the schools? Seriously?”