Some of the survivors of the mass shooting in Florida last month that killed 17 people are planning to descend on the nation’s capital on March 24 for an anti-gun march.
One of them, Kyle Kashuv, has already made it to Washington, D.C., where he met with President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, lawmakers, and a slew of television hosts.
Heartened to see children affected by tragedy using their voices to try and create change. Wonderful to meet and speak with Stoneman Douglas High School student @KyleKashuv today at the @WhiteHouse. His message of unity inspires us all! #MSDStrong pic.twitter.com/N5ZqdGruwT
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) March 8, 2018
Wonderful to meet @KyleKashuv today. His message of unity is one we should all share. Thank you for visiting us at the @WhiteHouse & hope you enjoyed your surprise meeting with @potus! Wishing you much success w @TheReachOutApp. pic.twitter.com/K4aGydo1uX
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) March 8, 2018
On Thursday, Kyle Kashuv was welcomed to the White House by the first lady, where they discussed the new app he is working on to connect students who need to talk with another teen.
#ReachOut is a chat app that let's students reach out to one another. When a student is struggling emotionally or just needs someone to talk to, this app gives them a platform to seek help from other student volunteers.
More to come!
— ReachOut App (@TheReachOutApp) March 6, 2018
Kashuv, a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, then met with the president to talk about how students can be kept safe while on campus.
Kashuv told Breitbart News that he wasn’t a fan of social media, even though his tweets put him in the national spotlight, which led to his trip to the White House.
“I hate Twitter … I think it’s cancerous and a waste of time,” Kashuv said, without irony. The social media platform is how he gained nationwide attention for expressing his belief that guns are not the only issue in the killings perpetrated by a former student with a long history of mental health issues.
Kashuv also met with many lawmakers – including Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) – and he expressed his support for school safety legislation the lawmakers are crafting.
Great to meet with @KyleKashuv this morning to talk about the things we can do to keep kids safe, starting with the #StopSchoolViolenceAct. #utpol https://t.co/mpHD440Tck
— Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) March 9, 2018
What is the best way to celebrate meeting @POTUS and @FLOTUS? Hanging with @TuckerCarlson, of course. Was great meeting @IngrahamAngle and Dr. @SebGorka. #MSDStrong
Got to show Tucker the @TheReachOutApp and he really liked it! pic.twitter.com/MjnMTlzk99
— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) March 9, 2018
He also was all over Fox News, where he posed for photos with Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Laura Ingraham, and Tucker Carlson. He told Breitbart News he also was meeting with a representative of the National Rifle Association.
I would like to publically announce, that after much research, I will be supporting @senorrinhatch and Senator @marcorubio's bill the Stop School Violence act. I will be discussing it with @foxandfriends this morning.
I also support @SenTedCruz's bill and will 100% help pass it pic.twitter.com/hGcvvuofUl
— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) March 9, 2018
I love you, @FLOTUS @MELANIATRUMP. You're an unbelievable human. I am tearing up right now writing this and watching this video. I will never forget about what you've done for the people of Parkland. #MSDStrong https://t.co/pevQNq6B25
— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) March 8, 2018
The video of Kashuv’s meeting with the first lady has 379,000 views.
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