Former President Donald Trump urges US Congress to put school security money ahead of delivering military aid to Ukraine.

Mr. Trump questioned how the US “had $40 billion to go to Ukraine” but cannot secure school security while speaking at a pro-gun conference.

In Houston, the National Rifle Association (NRA), the country’s largest gun lobby, is holding its annual convention.

The intervention comes just days after a Texas school tragedy that claimed the lives of 21 people.

The US Congress voted overwhelmingly earlier this month to grant over $40 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, US lawmakers have sent $54 billion to Ukraine.

“Before we nation-build the rest of the world, we should be building safe schools for our own children in our own nation,” Trump said.

“Congress should vote immediately to take back every penny of unused Covid relief money,” he added.

“Take it back from the states and use that money to quickly establish impenetrable security at every school all across our land.”

Trump dismissed proposals for stricter gun laws, saying that law-abiding citizens should be able to protect themselves against “evil” with firearms.

Instead, he advocated a “top-to-bottom reform” of school security, including strengthened single points of entry with metal detectors and at least one armed police officer on every campus.

Democrats, he claimed, were obstructing such security measures.