Screenshot via whitehouse.gov
President Trump condemned racism and white supremacy Monday during an address to the nation after mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, over the weekend.
"In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy. These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America. Hatred warps the mind, ravages the heart and devours the soul."
- Trump did not acknowledge any of his own incendiary rhetoric during his remarks, nor did he reference his tweet earlier this morning that cast blame upon the news media for creating an environment where mass shootings can occur.
The state of play: Trump laid out four steps for combatting mass shootings in the U.S., but they did not include any significant gun control action — meaning it's unlikely they'll see any support from congressional Democrats. Additionally, he did not discuss his proposal on Twitter this morning, where he floated stronger background checks tied to immigration reform.
- Directing the Department of Justice to work more closely with local, state and federal agencies — as well as work by social media companies to detect potential mass shooters.
- Ending "the glorification of violence in our society," specifically citing violent video games.
- Reforming mental health laws.
- Passing "red flag" laws to prevent those judged to be a danger to society from obtaining guns.
The big picture: President Trump and other elected Republicans have consistently cited cultural factors — both on the internet and in violent video games — as reasons for mass shootings.
- "We must recognize that the internet has provided a dangerous avenue to radicalize disturbed minds and perform demented acts. We must shine light on the dark recesses of the internet and stop mass murders before they start," Trump said.
- "Mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger — not the gun," he added.
- Studies indicate that there is no link between violent video games and mass shootings.
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