A Long Island native who’s been calling for new gun laws after his daughter was killed in a mass shooting was ejected Tuesday from President Donald Trump’s State of The Union address.
Fred Guttenberg, an LI native who has lived in Florida since 1989, made the outburst that got him removed from the audience when Trump said that he would “always protect your Second Amendment right to bear arms.” What exactly Guttenberg was yelling was unclear, but he later apologized on Twitter for the outburst.
“I am thankful for the overwhelming support that I am receiving,” he tweeted. “However, I do owe my family and friends an apology. I have tried to conduct myself with dignity throughout this process and I will do better as I pursue gun safety.”
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His 14-year-old daughter, Jaime Guttenberg — along with 16 other students and staff of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida — lost her life to a 19-year-old gunman who opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle on February 14, 2018.
Guttenberg attended the address as a guest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who caused a stir with her own act of protest. After Trump gave his speech, Pelosi, who was seated behind the president, tore up a copy of the address that Trump gave her before he began giving his remarks. That came after Trump refused to shake her hand.
Guttenberg previously made headlines in the nation’s capitol when he tried to shake U.S. Supreme Court Justice Bret Kavanaugh’s hand during the justice’s nomination hearings. Kavanaugh rebuffed Guttenberg.
After his daughter’s passing, Guttenberg established two organizations: Orange Ribbons (www.orangeribbonsforjaime.org), a nonprofit foundation aimed to honor his daughter and all her life’s passions, including anti-bullying programs and the Humane Society; and Orange Ribbons For Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun safety reforms and candidates who will pursue gun safety.
