Jacquelyn Martin/AP
In the hours after two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, President Donald Trump remained largely out of sight. He tweeted his support for the affected families and law enforcement; he issued a proclamation condemning violence.
On Sunday afternoon, in his first spoken remarks following the devastating events that left at least 29 dead, Trump briefly addressed reporters before boarding Air Force One from his New Jersey golf course resort, where he spent the weekend. He congratulated law enforcement in both places and said, “As bad as it was, it could have been so much worse.”
Trump did not mention the racism that allegedly motivated the shooting in El Paso or any specific measures the administration plans to take to prevent future shootings, but he noted that “a lot of things are in the works.” He added, “hate has no place in our country.”
Trump also took the opportunity to boast about his administration’s record. “We have done much more than most administrations,” he said. “That’s not talked about very much. But we’ve done actually a lot. But perhaps more has to be done.”
President Trump speaking publicly for the first time after this weekend's 2 mass shootings says, "This has been going on for years, for years and years in our country, and we have to get it stopped." pic.twitter.com/FBFDH28QIU
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 4, 2019
The president promised to make another statement on Monday morning.
