Former Democratic National Committee (DNC) co-vice chair David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland shooting, has called on Democrats to explore other avenues to achieve gun control reform—such as meeting Republicans on their terms to tackle the issue.

Newsweek reached out to Hogg’s organization, Leaders We Deserve, and the White House for comment by email on Thursday outside of normal business hours.

Why It Matters

Hogg, a prominent Gen Z activist and co-founder of Leaders We Deserve, rose to prominence as a vocal critic of gun policy in the U.S. and advocate for reform around gun control after surviving the 2018 shooting in Parkland, Florida.

He has most recently emerged as a contentious figure within the DNC after investing $20 million in support of progressive challengers to incumbent Democrats, sparking debates about party neutrality and leadership within the organization.

The organization rolled back the election that handed Hogg his role, saying that the vice chair elections were not conducted properly after the DNC’s Credentials Committee determined that procedural errors meant the executive was not “equally divided as practicable” along gender lines.

Hogg ruled out running again if the DNC nullified the February 2025 election and ordered a new vote.

What To Know

Hogg appeared on CNN following the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday, addressing the lack of meaningful reform that he and many others feel has allowed such attacks to continue in the United States.

A gunman attacked the church during the first Mass of the new school year, killing two children, aged 8 and 10, and injuring 17 others. The suspect then died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police revealed at a press conference shortly after the attack.

Of the 17 individuals injured in the shooting, 14 were children ranging in ages from 6 to 15. Seven students were in critical condition, but all of those injured by the attack are expected to survive. The three adults injured are parishioners in their 80s, according to police.

Hogg noted that in many past debates around gun policy, the Republicans often eschew discussing gun access due to their adherence to the rights of gun ownership as granted through their interpretation of the Second Amendment, but argued that Democrats should call that bluff and meet Republicans in the middle if they want to see real change.

“Republicans love to only talk about why do they pull the trigger, right?” Hogg told CNN host Pamela Brown on Thursday. “Capability and intent. We need to talk about both—how do they get the gun and why do they pull that trigger at the same time, and if Republicans in Congress right now, where they have a trifecta, don’t want to talk about how somebody is getting a gun … let’s talk about the intent.

“Let’s talked about why do our young people have this level of hatred in our country where they go and do things like this and what systems can we put in place to ensure that we’re preventing shootings before law enforcement has to show up, because if we’re putting our law enforcement officers as the first line of defense against this, we’re failing,” Hogg argued.

This could include examining mental health and potential root causes behind school shooters, according to Hogg, who said, in part: “You know what would be useful? Funding for research at the CDC and NIH. This is the leading cause of death for young people in this country right now. And historically, it has gotten barely any funding.”

“We need more investigation and research into that, that we can pass simply as a reconciliation, without having to deal with a filibuster with just 51 votes. That could be an easy thing that we could do,” he said.

However, he believed that President Donald Trump remains a stumbling block to any progress on the issue, accusing the president of being a “coward” for not pursuing any gun control policies after the Parkland shooting.

“Donald Trump has the power to do something about this,” Hogg said, in part, later adding: “My message to Donald Trump is that you are a coward, sir.”

“You are not going to do anything about this issue because you were terrified of the NRA,” Hogg continued. “Even though you have the power to save tens of thousands of lives. You were the strongest president in modern American history with a chokehold over your party and both chambers of Congress. You have the power to end this, but you are not going to because you’re a damn coward.”

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday: “I have been fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday: We completely and totally understand the concerns of parents across the country. This tragedy is—it’s heartbreaking. As a parent myself, there are no words to describe the heartbreak these families must be enduring, which is why the president and the first lady have encouraged everyone to continue to pray for these families and these victims, and it’s why this administration is focused on removing public safety threats from our communities.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, at a press conference Wednesday afternoon: “We need to be doing more than talking. It can’t just be words. There needs to be action. And when we have seen school shooting after school shooting. We have seen churches get shot up by horrible actors. I think the impetus has to be on all of us as leaders to do a whole lot more, to recognize that we’ve got more guns in this country than we have people, and it’s on all of us to recognize the truth and the reality that we can’t just say that this shouldn’t happen again, and then allow it to happen again and again.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wrote on social media: “I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”