Democratic congressman invites Trump to 'get off his ass' and work to end gun violence

(Image credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

published 15 February 2018

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) made a blunt overture to President Trump on Wednesday, following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida that left 17 people dead.

On Wednesday evening, Trump tweeted his "prayers and condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible Florida shooting. No child, teacher, or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school." Moulton said he agreed with "every word @realDonaldTrump said here. I invite him to get off his ass and join me in trying to do something about it."

Moulton, a former Marine Corps officer who served four tours in Iraq, is vocal about a need for gun control — after the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas last October, Moulton tweeted he would "NOT be joining my colleagues in a moment of silence on the House floor that just becomes an excuse for inaction," and sent a message to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.): "@SpeakerRyan, how many Americans have to die before you do your job? Allow us to have a debate and a vote. You're letting America down."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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