Trump vows to 'act with urgent resolve' after mass shootings but says 'mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun'

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

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

Explore More
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.