Senator 'shaken to the core by' Trump's education pick Betsy DeVos take on guns in schools
U.S. Senator from Connecticut Chris Murphy came out in fierce opposition to President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of education on Tuesday.
Betsy DeVos, a billionaire from Michigan, faced a room full of Senators on Tuesday -- fielding questions from Democrats and Republicans as she sought confirmation to lead the Department of Education in the Trump administration.
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Murphy, who represents the state that suffered one of the most tragic school shootings in recent history when dozens of young students were killed at Sandy Hook, pressed DeVos on whether or not she thought guns belonged in schools.
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"I think that's best left to locales and states to decide," she said, adding when asked if she would support a Trump ban on gun-free school zones if he called for one.
DeVos raised some eyebrows by suggesting that guns in schools could be used to prevent bear attacks.
"I think probably there, I would imagine that there's probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies," DeVos said.
She was referring to an earlier remark by Sen. Mike Enzi from Wyoming, who said an elementary school in Wapiti, Wyoming, had to build a fence to protect children from local wildlife.
The bear line was enough to set gun control activists ablaze, and "potential grizzlies" trended on Twitter shortly afterwards.
"I was shaken to the core by her answer," Murphy said in a tweet after the hearing. "So should every American parent."
DeVos faced a series of tough questions from other Democrats during the hearing, who pressed the billionaire on issues of school privatization and student loans, but she was overwhelmingly acclaimed by Republicans who championed her bold leadership and support for school choice.
DeVos made a passionate case for vouchers and charter schools, arguing that the shifting of funds allowed poorer parents to have more control over their children's educational opportunities.
Learn more about Betsy Devos' background:
