Eric Trump Says Shooting Guns Kept Him From Drinking & Doing Drugs

The president's younger son seems to think the war on drugs just needs more guns. That's how it worked for him when he was young, at least. Entering the debate on two New Jersey students who were suspended from school allegedly taking a picture at a gun range, Eric Trump said guns kept him from drugs and drinking when he was younger. He also said that guns grow the bonds of family.

Like many of his (and his father's) controversial statements, Trump made them on Twitter. Adding the hash tag #why and #2A, he retweeted a Fox News article on the New Jersey students and wrote:

Shooting was a big part of my youth - it kept me away from drinking/drugs, taught me safety, discipline, consentration [sic] and so many other positive life lessons.

Switching gears to the bonds of family, he continued, "It has brought generations of children together with parents, grandparents and other role models."

On Twitter, Trump was criticized for his spelling and for his past hunting trips in Africa. He and his brother Donald Jr. have gone on big game hunts in Africa, which led some to question the Trump administration's decision to end the ban on elephant trophy imports from some African nations.

The debate that Trump entered was about the decision of the Lacey Township High School to suspend two students. A resident and family friend told Fox News that the students were suspended for five days after a social media post at a gun range was seen by the school. Lacey schools Superintendent Craig Wigley denied that version of the story and said the suspension was not due to the photo, NJ Advance Media reported.

The photo reportedly showed four rifles, some magazines, and a gun duffel bag and was taken at a gun range. The school policy used to read that "any student who is reported to be in possession of a weapon of any type for any reason or purpose whether on or off school grounds." Now a newer version has been uploaded only mentions school grounds and school buses.

The debate on Twitter, though, strayed far from that original story. Some attacked Trump. "Killing endangered animals provides positive life lessons?" one user, Joy Edwards, wrote with a confused emoji. "Nice it kept you away from drugs and drinking, but could you not have just taken up baseball? PS You need a spelling tutor."

There were supporters of Trump who tweeted, too, arguing. "Schools should have gun safety classes and shooting sports!!!" wrote Lisa Loftis. The tweet has also been retweeted more than 5,000 times and liked 17,000 times.

Other big debates in the Twitter chain included a look at the Second Amendment and what rights it does afford Americans. Many pointed out that the Supreme Court has allowed for some limits on weapons of war like the AR-15 or tanks.

This all comes in the frame of the March for Our Lives, which will occur in Washington D.C. and across the country on Saturday. Student activists from Marjory Stoneman Douglas have come together to plan what could be the largest gun control rally ever. There are varied opinions, but the vast majority of this generation's youth seems to be on the side of less guns, not more.

A current MSD senior and Never Again activist Sofie Whitney represents what many young people have expressed about guns. "We march for our 17 fallen friends," Whitney posted to Twitter. "We march for every single victim of gun violence. We march because we have no other choice. We march for our lives."

If Trump benefited from guns as a child, it seems that is out of touch with the average American teenager today. And they're going to D.C. to prove it.