Donald Trump compares handling guns to golf and baseball as debate rages over US gun control
Video report by ITV News Washington Correspondent Robert Moore
Donald Trump has suggested handling weapons is similar to being good at golf and baseball as the debate over arming teachers rages.
The president implied that teachers who can hit home runs and sink shots from four yards on the green would have the aptitude for handling weapons.
It comes as students continue to protest over gun control in the US following the Florida high school shooting.
On Monday, President Trump delivered fresh criticism of police officers who arrived at the scene of the attack as well as the security guard pre-deployed at the school.
And during a meeting with governors the president indicated he would have been willing to confront gunman Nikolas Cruz unarmed.
Scot Peterson, the pre-deployed officer, who was outside the school firing began but did not go inside, has defended his actions.
His lawyer said Mr Peterson believed the gunfire was coming from outside the school.
Following calls from students for tightened gun laws President Trump had toyed with the idea of arming teachers generally to protect them.
But he now appears to have refined which school workers he would entrust with pupils' safety.
Continuing to advocate arming teachers, President Trump suggested handling weapons was like having an aptitude for sports.
"I want highly trained people that have a natural talent like hitting a baseball, or hitting a golf ball, or putting," he said.
"How come some people always make the four-footer?"
In his continued criticism of officers President Trump labelled their response to the shooting as "frankly disgusting".
And suggesting he would have confronted Cruz, even if unarmed, he said: "You don't know until you test it but I really believe I would run in there, even if I didn't have a weapon."
The president's comments come as classes resume at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
Since the shooting, protesting students have promised to stay prominent in America's gun debate until laws are tightened.