This, to no surprise, did not sit well with the National Rifle Association (NRA). In a statement released after the meeting, NRA spokesperson Jennifer Baker criticized the event, saying it "made for great TV" but that the proposals would ultimately "make for bad policy."
Dr Wilmer Leon, host of a nationally broadcast talk radio show on Sirius/XM channel 126 and Robert Koehler, author of the book "Courage Grows Strong at the Wound," joined Sputnik Radio's Loud & Clear to discuss the latest developments on gun legislation.
"I think this issue is being discussed in the wrong context," Leon told show hosts Brian Becker and John Kiriakou. "We always bring up gun control after a horrific mass shooting, but what should be discussed is gun control in the larger context of the number of people that are killed by firearms in this country every day, of which mass shootings is a subset."
"If you talk about the larger issue of how we're going to make America a safer country, your discussion is different than what are we doing to keep automatic weapons out of the hands of maniacs who want to go and shoot up theatres, schools and churches," Leon added.
When asked whether or not the NRA is concerned about Trump's talk on tightening gun legislation, Leon remarked that Wayne LaPierre and his buddies were likely not concerned at all.
"You have to take Donald Trump's statement with less than a grain of salt because what he said yesterday, he will disavow tomorrow," Leon told Becker.
Agreeing with Leon, Koehler said, "Trump's role here is to create chaos… because all of a sudden he swings momentarily left on this issue and throws the NRA into uproar and alarm for a moment."
Though Koehler says Trump is just "reacting in the moment," he does believe that some good can come out of the situation.
"There is some value in the chaos that Trump does bring," Koehler said. "Since the Parkland shooting, the young people have created a movement and this may be something that pushes through and opens the larger issue of gun violence across this country."
Regarding Trump's proposal to arm school teachers, Leon stated bluntly that it "shows you just how totally whack the guy is."
"When you start talking about arming teachers it fails on a number of fronts," Leon told Kiriakou. "Anybody who wants to take an AR-15 into a school is not a rational actor; in fact, what you're probably doing is creating the scenario where the individual feels like they have to meet a greater force with an even more greater force."
"You don't want teachers in the hallway shooting at people."
