President Trump during a press conference in Tokyo. Photo: Kiyoshi Ota, Pool / AP
President Trump said that yesterday's mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas was not "a guns situation," instead calling "mental health" the problem during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.
Worth considering: Trump's reaction is similar to his relatively muted response to last month's Las Vegas shooting — when he offered prayers and condolences after an incident perpetrated by a white male. In comparison, last week's ISIS-linked New York truck attack spurred Trump to weigh in on a wide range of controversial policy issues like immigration, federal prosecution of terror suspects, and the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
More from the press conference
- Trump's full quote on Texas: "I think that mental health is your problem here. Based on preliminary reports, a very deranged individual, a lot of problems for a long period of time. But this isn't a guns situation."
- Trump didn't back down from his harsh rhetoric on North Korea, calling the regime "a menace to the civilized world" and continuing to refuse to rule out military action.