No he did not. Read the transcript.
MR. RUSSERT: And we are back. Senator Fred Thompson is our guest.
Virginia Tech, last April 32 killed, terrible tragedy. You had a radio report back at that time, and I’d like to share it with you and our viewers. “Virginia Tech,” the “administrators overrode Virginia state law and threatened to expel or fire anybody who brings a weapon,” on the “campus. Many other universities have been swayed by an anti-gun, anti-self defense ideology. Whenever I’ve seen one of those ‘Gun-free zone’ signs, especially outside of a school filled with our youngest and most vulnerable citizens, I’ve always wondered exactly who these signs are directed at.”
My sense in reading that is that you would be in favor of licensed citizens of Virginia, students, including students, to carry concealed weapons on a college campus.
MR. THOMPSON: It would have to be consistent with campus rules. I don’t think that all students need to be carrying weapons on the school campus. What I would, I would feel more comfortable with, if a child of mine was on campus, when I read about these people, 30 people or so being lined up and systematically killed without anybody apparently around to do anything about it, I think some, some thought really needs to be given as to who should be properly qualified and permitted and, and armed on campuses and other places where large people gather. But...
MR. RUSSERT: But you would, you would allow a campus to bar their students from carrying concealed weapons?
MR. THOMPSON: Yeah, it, it would have to be consistent with state law and, and, and school rules. And different schools would have, you know, the, the freedom to, to have their own rules as, as, as they see fit.
The part I’m refering to is at the end of that transcript:
Russert: “But you would, you would allow a campus to bar their students from carrying concealed weapons?”
Thompson: “Yeah, it, it would have to be consistent with state law and, and, and school rules.”
He didn’t “support” it in the sense of advocating for it, but he did say “yes” in response to “you would allow a campus to bar their students from carrying concealed weapons”.
So it sound like he doesn’t think students have a 2nd amendment right to carry weapons for protection at a public school, because he says that if he supports allowing the state to pass a law barring it, or the college having a rule against it.
That’s what it looks like to me. What is the alternate explanation for what he said? It sounds like he is saying federalism includes allowing states to pass laws barring gun owners from carrying weapons.