President Donald Trump used a press conference this week to float a simple, focused idea: allow a “small percentage” of teachers to carry for classroom defense. The briefing aired live on FOX News. Peter Doocy asked whether the answer was sending “an armed national guardsman to every school.”

Trump didn’t blink. “We have a big problem with school but we also have thousands and thousands of schools that run perfectly.” He noted that blunt realities demand layered security, not one-size-fits-all theater.

He described “construction-wise” steps to harden schools but warned some designs can slow police entry. In the end, he cautioned that overdoing barriers can “make it safer for some of these lunatics we’re dealing with.” The point was clear: speed and proximity win when seconds matter.

Then he turned to the option Democrats fear most—armed, trained educators. “We have great teachers that love our children. The parents love the children and teachers love the children too, and if you took a small percentage of those teachers that were in the military, that were distinguished in the military, that were in the National Guard, etc., etc., you let them carry…They’re trained, they know about weapons…I always thought that would be an alternative.”

The alternative has backing in hard lessons. Months after the Parkland, Florida, high school attack in 2018, a state commission voted 13 to 1 to support arming teachers for defense. That vote followed a deep review of what failed when an attacker struck and students had no immediate protection.

Seventeen people were murdered at Parkland. No teacher was armed that day. The commission’s chair, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, said the investigation changed his mind. “People need to keep an open mind to it as the reality is that if someone else in that school had a gun it could have saved kids’ lives.”

Trump’s approach fits that reality. He isn’t proposing an armed guard in every hallway or turning schools into fortresses. He is calling for a limited, volunteer cadre of qualified, vetted adults—many with military or National Guard backgrounds—who already know the campus, the students, and the layout.

He also stressed that physical security alone is not enough if officers can’t move quickly. That is why trained staff on-site matter. Seconds count far more than press releases. The fastest response is the one inside the room when the threat appears.

Critics will pretend the choice is between metal detectors and chaos. It isn’t. The choice is between pretending danger can be legislated away and empowering responsible adults to stop it. Trump trusts parents and teachers who “love our children” to step up when it counts.

States have seen the model work where it’s been tried. After Parkland, leaders willing to learn from the facts embraced trained school staff as a vital last line, built on instruction, certification, and close coordination with local law enforcement. That’s not radical—it’s common sense.

The media will obsess over optics. Trump is focused on outcomes. He recognizes “thousands and thousands of schools” operate safely while acknowledging real threats demand real tools. A small percentage of armed teachers is not a slogan; it’s a practical deterrent that turns victims into protectors.

Parents want action that protects their kids today, not tomorrow. Arming a limited number of trained educators—backed by thoughtful design and rapid police access—meets that test. It respects communities, saves lives, and puts safety ahead of politics.

Trump is right to press this. The country has tried denial and headline-chasing. It’s time to back courage, competence, and common sense on campus. Stand up for the plan that stops killers and keeps children safe—arm a small, trained percentage of teachers and defend our schools with strength.