Trump backs raising age for buying rifles

WASHINGTON - The United States should keep assault rifles out of the hands of anyone under 21, President Donald Trump says, defying his loyal supporters in the National Rifle Association amid the public reckoning over gun violence. He also pushed hard for arming security guards and many teachers in US schools.

"There's nothing more important than protecting our children," Trump said, adding that he'd spoken with many members of Congress and NRA officials and insisting they would go along with his plans in the wake of last week's school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead.

But there were no words of support from the NRA for his minimum-age proposal and outright opposition from organizations of teachers and school security guards for the idea of arming schools to deal with intruders.