President Trump Claims He'd Run Into the Scene of a Shooting in New Rebuke of Sheriff's Deputies

Doubling down on his criticism of first responders at the scene of the Feb. 14 Florida high school massacre, President Trump said he would have run into the campus building, even without a weapon, to stop the shooter.

"I really believe, you don't know until you're tested, but I really believe I'd run in there even if I didn't have a weapon," Trump told a gathering of governors at the White House. "And I think most of the people in this room would have done that, too."

He piled on his criticism of Broward County Sheriff's deputy Scot Peterson, and three of his law enforcement colleagues who also reportedly stayed outside while the shooting went on for six minutes inside a school building.

"They weren't exactly Medal of Honor winners," Trump said. "The way they performed was frankly disgusting."

Peterson's attorney made his first comments Monday, defending his client and saying that "allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently absurd."

Lawyer Joseph DiRuzzo said Peterson mistakenly thought the gunfire was outside and that is why he "took up a tactical position."

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