President Obama to Hold Town Hall Meeting on Gun Violence

Wally Skalij—LA Times via Getty ImagesU.S. President Barack Obama speaks to the media at Indian Springs High School on December 18, 2015 in San Bernardino, California. Obama was in town to meet privately with the families of the victims of the San Bernardino terrorist attack. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times --Getty Images)

President Barack Obama announced he’ll hold a town hall meeting on guns Thursday, after he meets with Attorney General Loretta Lynch Monday about possible executive actions to curb gun violence.

The meeting will focus on gun violence in the wake of the Dec. 2 San Bernandino shooting that killed 14 people. In the weeks since the shooting, Obama has shifted his focus to the American response to ISIS, the New York Timesreports, but this town hall meeting will signify a return to his original reaction to the shooting, which was to emphasize the need for stricter gun restrictions. The meeting will be aired at 8 p.m. on CNN Thursday night.

The President also called for more action on gun violence in his weekly address.

“It would be better for our security if it was harder for terrorists to purchase very powerful weapons,” deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters in a press briefing Saturday, adding that citizens arming themselves would likely not prevent future terrorist attacks. “That’s why they have a government,” Mr. Rhodes said. “They have a government to provide security against the threat of terrorism.”