Trump says tough gun control laws in Paris contributed to tragedy

Donald Trump says the tough gun control laws in Paris contributed to the high death toll during a series of terrorist attacks on Friday. The attacks, he added, also reveal the danger in allowing Syrian refugees into the country.

"You can say what you want, but if they had guns -- if our people had guns, if they were allowed to carry -- it would have been a much, much different situation," Trump said to cheers during a political rally at an arena in southeast Texas on Saturday afternoon. "I hear it all the time, you know. You look at certain cities that have the highest violence, the highest problem with guns and shootings and killings -- Chicago is an example, toughest gun laws in the United States, nothing but problems. So our country better get smart because we're not smart right now."

By making that comment, Trump doubled down on a message he tweeted in January, following a smaller-scale terrorist attack: "Isn't it interesting that the tragedy in Paris took place in one of the toughest gun control countries in the world?" As that dated tweet recirculated on Friday evening, the French ambassador to the United States, Gerard Araud, tweeted at Trump: "This message is repugnant in its lack of any human decency. Vulture."

Trump started the rally by leading the crowd of several thousand in a moment of silence in remembrance of the 129 people killed in the Paris attacks, which the Islamic State terrorist group has claimed to have organized. Then Trump launched right into the politics of the attacks.

"What is going on is terrible," Trump said. "And when you look at what happened in that case: It was just reported, one from Syria and our president wants to take in 250,000 from Syria."

The crowd booed Syrian refugees for several seconds, then Trump began again: "No, I mean, think of it: 250,000 people. And we all have heart, and we all want people taken care of and all of that, but with the problems our country has, to take in 250,000 people -- some of whom are going to have problems, big problems -- is just insane. You have to be insane. Terrible."