Former first lady Michelle Obama praised the Florida students who have been calling for gun control following a shooting at their high school last week.
“I’m in total awe of the extraordinary students in Florida,” she tweeted Wednesday. “Like every movement for progress in our history, gun reform will take unyielding courage and endurance. But @barackobama and I believe in you, we’re proud of you, and we’re behind you every step of the way.”
Survivors of the shooting that left 17 people dead have emerged as fierce advocates for gun control in the week since the shooting, demanding that state and national lawmakers work on gun laws. {mosads}
Obama has spoken out in favor of gun control before, saying in 2013 that children living near her family’s home in Chicago wake up every day “and wonder whether they’re going to make it out of school alive.”
“I mean, every single kid worries about their own death, or the death of someone, every single day,” Obama said at the time.
Former President Obama last week also offered his support for those impacted by the shooting.
“Caring for our kids is our first job. And until we can honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep them safe from harm, including long overdue, common-sense gun safety laws that most Americans want, then we have to change,” he tweeted one day after the Parkland, Fla., shooting.
The former president pushed for stricter gun control laws during his administration, particularly after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, but struggled to get measures through Congress.
The former first lady’s message came just hours after President Trump hosted some survivors of the shooting at the White House for a listening session on gun violence.
He suggested arming teachers as a way to prevent future school shootings and echoed a previous White House statement that he supports improving background checks for gun sales.
“Some of your suggestions, I’ve heard some of them. We’re going to do something about this horrible situation that’s going on,” Trump said at the event. “I want to listen. And then after I listen, we’re going to get things done.”