Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press‏,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I_VT) discussed the recent mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL and said the GOP had to “say that it’s more important to protect the children of this country” than to antagonize the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Sanders said, “For 30 years, I believed that we should not be selling assault weapons in this country. These weapons are not for hunting. They are for killing human beings. These are military weapons. I do not know why we have 5 million of them running around the United States of America. So, of course, we have to do that. Of course, we have to make it harder for people to be able to purchase weapons. We have people now who are on terrorist watch lists who can purchase a weapon. Does this make any sense to anybody?”

He added, “Bottom line here, Republicans are going to have to say that it’s more important to protect the children of this country than to antagonize the NRA. Are they prepared to do that? I surely hope they are.”

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