Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Saturday President Donald Trump was the only thing "standing in the way" of meaningful gun reform, The Hill reported.
Schumer made the statement as student protesters and gun control activists were participating in the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., and in cities around the country to bring attention to gun violence.
"The only thing standing in the way of achieving their goals is the president, whose White House today praised the students as courageous," Schumer said in a statement.
"What the students want is for the president to show courage, not once again in empty words, but in real action, by at minimum supporting universal background checks," he added.
Schumer said he had marched with protesters in New York for two hours on Saturday and was "inspired by their enthusiasm, steadfastness and focus on electing representatives who support their goals."
Gun control has gained renewed awareness after the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people lost their lives in the attack and approximately 17 were injured.
Trump was not in Washington, D.C., over the weekend, but instead had traveled to his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort. He has indicated an interest in gun law reforms, but has not taken a definitive stance on the matter.
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