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Betsy DeVos supports Trump administration's plan to arm school staff
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is on board with the Trump administration's plan to train and arm teachers and school staff — though she isn't sure of how the specifics should shake out.
In an appearance on NBC's Today on Monday morning, DeVos addressed the White House's plan to provide funding for states that choose to train teachers and school personnel to carry firearms on campus. DeVos was specifically asked about President Trump's previous suggestion that between 10 and 40 percent of school staff could qualify for this type of program.
"I don't have a percentage," DeVos said. "It should only be those capable and qualified and only in places where it's appropriate. ... The point is that schools should have this tool if they choose to use the tool."
DeVos, who was assigned to lead a commission to prevent school violence, said that it wouldn't be necessary to assign a gun to every classroom or every grade and added that the program shouldn't be mandated. She also suggested that the administration's views could change: "Everything is on the table" in negotiations, she told NBC's Savannah Guthrie.
DeVos has been facing sharp criticism for struggling to answer simple education policy questions in a Sunday night 60 Minutes interview. Her vague answers and inability to defend her beliefs in TV appearances Sunday and Monday alarmed even White House officials, reports CNN.