One high-visibility teen is apparently going through a period of self-reflection: March for Our Lives co-founder Cameron Kasky, 17 (pictured above), has reportedly left the organization he helped create amid regrets about things he has said since entering the public spotlight.
The massive student-led group was formed to support tighter gun laws in the wake of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day of last year.
Seventeen students and staff members were killed in that massacre — the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history.
“I’m very regretful of a lot of the mistakes that I’ve made along the way,” Kasky told Fox News Radio’s Guy Benson and Marie Harf, according to The Daily Wire.
“One of the things I never really did was watch myself,” Kasky said.
“If I was on a screen, I kind of tried to run away from it. I’m not entirely sure why. But looking back on that, it’s like you said — you touched off on this very well in the intro. I’m not going to kick myself for it, because I’m 17. Despite the fact that I thought I did at the time, I don’t know everything,” he admitted.
Kasky also conceded that when he berated Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) during CNN’s town hall event, it was his intent to “embarrass Rubio, and that was my biggest flaw.”
The young man could have the opportunity to redeem himself next month — as he has plans to meet with Sen. Rubio again.
Still, for Kasky, a few months and a few spontaneous encounters made all the difference in helping him realize that things are not always as they appear — or as the media make them appear.
“This summer when March for Our Lives went on the summer tour that we embarked on, I met that person in Texas who’s got that semi-automatic weapon because that’s how they like to protect their family,” he said.
Related: Gun Control-Obsessed Media ‘Part of the Problem,’ Grieving Dad Says
Kasky continued, “I learned that a lot of our issues politically come from a lack of understanding of other perspectives, and also the fact that so often young conservatives and young liberals will go into debate, like I said earlier, trying to beat the other one, as opposed to come [coming] to an agreement.”
Kasky also noted that he left March for Our Lives because “they didn’t really need my involvement, and while I could have helped, it wasn’t crucial.”
The activist noted that he plans to start a new podcast called “Cameron Knows Nothing,” where he’ll host discussions on current affairs with folks on both sides of the political spectrum.
See Kasky speak during a March for Our Lives rally in the video below.
Elizabeth Economou is a former CNBC staff writer and adjunct professor. Follow her on Twitter.
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