barbaric slaughters
Trump vows to 'act with urgent resolve' after mass shootings but says 'mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun'
President Trump in a statement following two mass shootings over the weekend called out violent video games and social media while not mentioning his earlier proposal to tie gun background-check legislation with immigration reform.
Trump in a speech on Monday morning referred to the shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio as "barbaric slaughters" that are an "assault upon our communities, an attack upon our nation, and a crime against all of humanity." He went on to say that the United States must "condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy" while vowing to "act with urgent resolve."
Among Trump's proposals was having the Department of Justice work with local state and federal agencies, as well as with social media companies, to "develop tools that can detect mass shooters before they strike." He also said that "we must stop the glorification of violence in our society," which includes "gruesome" video games.
Additionally, Trump called for reforms to mental health laws that would "better identify mentally disturbed individuals," also expressing support for red flag laws and calling for those who commit hate crimes to receive the death penalty.
But Trump, notably, did not bring up his earlier idea of trying to pass gun background-check laws tied to immigration reform. Instead, he said that "mental illness and hatred pulled the trigger, not the gun." He also did not mention the background check legislation that has already passed in the House of Representatives. Brendan Morrow