Trump, who is scheduled to address the nation at 10 a.m. ET following two mass shootings that left at least 29 people dead, has previously expressed an openness to tougher action on gun control only to back away under pressure from Second Amendment activists and the gun lobby. He did not indicate in his tweets on Monday morning if he supported a sweeping gun control bill that passed the House with bipartisan support in February that requires universal background checks but has not been considered by the Senate.
"Republicans and Democrats must come together and get strong background checks, perhaps marrying this legislation with desperately needed immigration reform," Trump wrote in a pair of tweets, adding, "We must have something good, if not GREAT, come out of these two tragic events!"
Trump also sought to blame the media for the weekend's rampages, saying coverage has "contributed greatly to the anger and rage that has built up over many years," even though the President's rhetoric -- including calling illegal immigration an "infestation" -- has been scrutinized in the wake of the shooting and its potential connection to increased violence against immigrants.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat who is also seeking her party's 2020 presidential nomination, said Monday that it's "absurd" for Trump to link immigration and gun violence together.
"He's linking the issue of basic, common-sense gun reform, that we should be going back into the Senate today to vote on, with this issue of immigration because again he continues to try to demonize people seeking asylum, people needing our help," Gillibrand told CNN's John Berman on "New Day."
Racial motivation seen in El Paso attack
In the El Paso shooting, where at least 20 people were killed, the alleged shooter -- identified as Patrick Crusius, of Allen, Texas -- is believed to have authored a four-page document online shortly before the shooting, filled with white supremacist language and racist hatred aimed at immigrants and Latinos and blames immigrants and first-generation Americans for taking away jobs.
The writer cited a fear that an influential Hispanic population in Texas would make the state a "Democratic stronghold." But he says "the Republican Party is also terrible" because the GOP is in his mind pro-corporation, which could lead to more immigration.
The author says he's held these beliefs for years, before Trump became President.
Shortly after the El Paso massacre, a shooter in Dayton, Ohio, opened fire in the city's Oregon District, a popular downtown area, leaving nine dead. The shooter, a 24-year-old male, was shot and killed by responding officers. Police have not released a possible motive behind the attack, and two federal law enforcement sources have told CNN that a preliminary assessment of the shooter's writings did not indicate any racial or political motive.
In his first public comments following the shootings, Trump acknowledged that "perhaps more has to be done" to address gun violence. His administration has overseen a ban on so-called bump stocks, but has not pursued large-scale gun control efforts. His predecessor, President Barack Obama, took executive actions on gun control, including on background checks and mental health.
The President has so far not commented on accusations from Democrats that his language on immigration contributed to the El Paso shooting, but did say Sunday, "Hate has no place in our country and we're gonna take care of it."
Trump's acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, dismissed such connections Sunday, saying on NBC, "People are going to hear what they want to hear."
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/05/politics/donald-trump-gun-control-immigration-reform-mass-shootings/index.html
2019-08-05 12:29:00Z
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