CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" Transcript: Parkland Shooting

Interview

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COOPER: All right. Phil Mattingly, thanks very much.

More now on the question of regulating firearms, arming teachers, and what if anything can pass the Congress, which seems to be the one question that comes up after every such tragedy.

Joining us now is Florida Republican congressman and decorated war veteran, Brian Mast, who recently called for a flat-out ban on AR-15 style rifles.

Congressman, thanks so much for being with us.

I'm wondering, what do you make of this news that the president appears to be backing away from raising the age limit to buy any kind of gun to 21?

REP. BRIAN MAST (R), FLORIDA: I don't think he should be backing away from this issue at all. I think he needs to be leading on this issue. He needs to show the America people what he said today that he's not going to be beholden to anybody and lead members of Congress, and lead members of the Senate in that same way, show the American people what they all hate about Washington, D.C. thinking that people here are purchased by different lobbies, that we're not. Lead the American people to that conclusion that we're not purchased by anybody. Show 'em.

COOPER: In his meeting today with the governors, the president told them that the NRA is on their side. Do you think that's true?

MAST: I think we find ourselves at odds on a great number of issues. But they represent people that need to have their opinion heard as well. The law-abiding gun-owning citizen that just wants to go out there and have that opportunity to hunt, to go and protect their home that they see fit, to be a collector, they have to be represented as well and that's their piece of this.

COOPER: You've taken a stand. I understand you changed your mind on assault type weapons. I'm wondering, A, what led you to that change? Was it this latest shooting? And what do you say to your fellow Republicans who may be wary about having a similar change of heart, fearing some kind of retribution from the NRA?

MAST: You know, it's a long story what led to me to this, but the short piece of it is that I was sitting there and looking at my children in a pool playing and thinking, what could happen to them. As I was concealing and carrying myself, looking in the surroundings around me saying, we could have been sitting ducks in a certain situation that we were in, and thinking about that in the wake of just happened in Parkland to people some of whom I know saying, I've got to do everything that I can to protect life. That was my life's worth, that's what I did, that's what made everything unregrettable in the military was that I was trying to protect the lives of others.

And that has to be the way we function here in Washington. We can't worry about being political casualties. It has to be the last thought in our mind.

COOPER: I know you're asking for conversation with the president. Can you say what you would like to tell him?

MAST: One hundred percent. I want to say to the president, take your plan for having a ban on people coming into our country from various, what we would consider terror-related countries. Take that travel ban, let's apply that exact same model to this situation, let's assess who is purchasing these firearms, what are the systems in place to make sure that the next Omar Mateen or the next Nikolas Cruz or the next Stephen Paddock isn't purchasing a firearm because nobody has faith in the system right now, and let's come back to the American people in 90 days or 120 days after this pause, after this 90 or 120 day pause of selling these assault tactical style weapons and come to them with real solutions, because your whole intro, it led into it.

Lawmakers are across the board on this. Nobody knows if they can get on board with the age or with background check or with this. Have the president -- I would ask the president, Mr. President, lead on this in the same way you led with the travel ban to protect communities, to protect your nation. Apply the same standard to this situation and let's act immediately.

COOPER: I'm wondering just the conversation amongst your fellow Republicans on the Hill. You don't have to name any names or anything. But what are you hearing about a desire for change, fear of change. I'm just wondering kind of what are you hearing from them?

MAST: I've had a great number of my colleagues, Republican colleagues, coming up to me, whispering in my ear that they thought it was a great piece. They love everything that I wrote about it. You know, really trying to feel me out, hey, what was your reaction back home, what were some of the things that people were saying to you. You know, how do they feel about your proposals?

I had a lot of questions today about the reaction that I was getting from my constituency about my remarks.

COOPER: Congressman Mast, it's a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you very much.

MAST: Very good to speak to you.

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