Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy criticized the “knee-jerk policy reactions” he expects to see from politicians calling for gun control legislation after a school shooter in Iowa killed one student and injured five other people Thursday.
In a sit-down with voters Thursday, Ramaswamy said the legislative focus shouldn’t be on guns, but on mental health.
“The temptation is just pass some law, paper and over and say we did something in response to this,” he said. “You mark my words: Tomorrow, if not later today, you’re going to hear calls for, ‘Stop the guns, that’s the problem,’ sweeping under the rug this real ailment at the heart and soul of our nation and our culture that has spread to the entire next generation and to the unit of the family. The loss of purpose.”
“It’s a false hubris,” he continued. “It’s a belief that we are God, that we can ultimately control this outcome without getting the root cause. I think that’s the wrong approach, right out of the gate, knee-jerk policy reactions in response to a tragedy.”
The Perry High School shooter killed one sixth grade student and injured four other students, as well as a school administrator. The gunman shot and killed himself, police said. As of Thursday night, the motive remained unknown.
The shooting occurred just miles from where Ramaswamy was scheduled to hold an event Thursday morning. His campaign chose to cancel the event and hold private prayer instead.
Earlier Thursday, Ramaswamy denounced gun violence as a sign of “psychological sickness” in the country.
His response was echoed by other GOP candidates, including Gov. Ron DeSantis (Fla.), who similarly pointed to mental health problems as a legislative priority instead of gun control.