"It was a bit astonishing to hear the language there, and people around the table were shaking their heads, but you can chalk that up to that he misspoke," Sen. Jeff Flake (pictured) said of President Donald Trump's comment. | Alex Wong/Getty Images Flake on Trump's 'take the guns' remark: 'He misspoke'

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said Thursday that President Donald Trump "misspoke" a day earlier when he said he'd prefer to "take the guns first" and worry about due process later when dealing with people who could pose a danger to society.

Trump made the comments Wednesday at a bipartisan meeting on school safety aimed at preventing attacks like the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people.


"A lot of times, by the time you go to court, it takes so long to go to court to get the due process procedures," Trump said. “Take the guns first, go through due process second."

Flake, who was at the meeting, said he heard the comment, but he essentially gave Trump a pass, telling CBS News on Thursday that everyone should just “move ahead” and not dwell on the remark, which veered well away from typical Republican views on gun rights.

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“Anything we have introduced in the Congress respects due process," Flake said. "It was a bit astonishing to hear the language there, and people around the table were shaking their heads, but you can chalk that up to that he misspoke. Let's move ahead. It was a lot of excitement afterward that he might actually lead on this, and we need that.”

Flake, who once called for the now-president to withdraw from the 2016 presidential race, said Congress won't reach agreement on steps on guns and school safety without Trump's involvement.

“His leadership here is really critical if it's going to get through the House or Senate,” Flake said. “I do think there's a better chance the president will lead and really get out front on this."

