President Donald Trump is planning to meet with executives from the gaming industry as part of his public response to gun violence. Alongside his plan to arm teachers, Trump has repeatedly said that violent video games may act as a root cause of school shootings.
“The video games, the movies, the internet stuff is so violent,” Trump told an assembly of congresspeople and gun experts on Wednesday. “It’s so incredible. I see it. I get to see things that you would be — you’d be amazed at. I have a young — very young son who — I look at some of the things he’s watching, and I say, “How is that possible?” And this is what kids are watching.”
Ignoring that it’s possible because Trump, a father, permits it, he went on to suggest that new rating systems and other actions are necessary.
Now, Trump will talk these ideas out with the gaming industry.
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NEW: President Trump to meet with members of the video game industry next week as part of discussion on school safety, Press Sec. Sanders says. pic.twitter.com/XcUetGVBzy
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 1, 2018
During a press conference, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders used Trump’s meetings as evidence that he is doing something about gun violence.
“Next week, [President Trump] will be meeting with members of the video game industry to see what they can do,” she said. “This is going to be an ongoing process. It’s something we don’t expect to change over night.”
I’ve reached out to multiple gaming publishers and The Entertainment Software Association, which lobbies for the gaming industry (and against regulation), to ask if they are sending representatives to this meeting. I will update this story with any new information from these companies and organizations.
