In the wake of the Parkland school shooting, a billionaire Democratic donor is pledging $1 million to help young people register to vote with the hope that they will help elect pro-gun control politicians in the midterm elections.
“Over the last week, we’ve all had a chance to hear the powerful, thoughtful, important appeals from the Floridian high school students about the need for meaningful gun control,” Tom Steyer says in a video posted to Twitter Thursday.
Steyer says he was joining with two gun control advocacy groups, Giffords and Everytown for Gun Safety, in sponsoring the voter registration drive “so that we don’t just hear their voices and their feelings and their hearts on CNN, but that next November, their votes get counted by every official in America and they understand we either get gun reform now or we get rid of them then.”
In his announcement, Steyer accused the Republican Party and President Donald Trump of “putting NRA money ahead of the lives of Americans.” He also doubled down on his call for Trump’s impeachment — an effort he has promoted with a multi-million dollar ad campaign.
“If you consider what the job of the President is, number one: protect the American people,” Steyer said. “If he won’t enact the kind of reform necessary to protect our children, that’s just another reason he’s gotta go.”
In recent days, the President has expressed openness to certain measures related to gun restrictions and mental health as a way to prevent gun violence, while also reiterating his call to arm certain teachers to deter school shootings.