President Donald Trump said on Aug. 7 that he was “concerned about the rise of any group of hate” prior to his departure to meet with first responders and victims of the two mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas.
Trump’s comments come days after the two massacres left over 30 people killed and dozens more injured.
However, this has not stopped Trump opponents from pinning the blame on the president’s rhetoric and on gun laws they say are not restrictive enough.
On Aug. 7, Trump defended his rhetoric.
“I think my rhetoric brings people together,“ Trump said. ”Our country is doing incredibly well.”
The president said that in order to address gun violence, his administration could expand background checks.
“I think background checks are important,” he said. “I don’t want to put guns into the hands of mentally unstable people or people with rage or hate—sick people.”
The president said in response to another question that he thinks there is no political appetite to ban so-called “assault rifles” or weapons like the one used in the shooting in Dayton.
“You have to have a political appetite within Congress, and so far I haven’t seen that,” Trump said, but added that he will bring it up as one of the points.
However, he said, “There’s a great appetite—and I mean a very strong appetite—for background checks. I think we can bring up background checks like we’ve never had before. I think both Republicans and Democrats are getting close to a bill on doing something with background checks,” he said.
“I think there’s a great appetite to do something with regard to making sure mentally unstable, seriously ill people, aren’t carrying guns, and I’ve never seen the appetite as strong as it is now,” he said during the press conference. “I have not seen it with regard to certain types of weapons.”
“The president did not respond in kind. They politicized this over the weekend. They all blamed him and I want to name and shame them now because he did not respond in kind. They want to be president? He is the president. And he is trying to bring the country together and have concrete bipartisan, bicameral steps,” Conway said during the program.
Following the mass murders, several Democratic hopefuls criticized the president for putting the blame for the shootings on mental illness and the glorification of violence instead of on guns.
Conway took the opportunity during the Aug. 6 interview to call out O’Rourke for his rhetoric, saying that it was not helpful.
“Beto O’Rourke—from the Vanity Fair magazine cover to the vanity project candidacy—out there screaming and cursing about President Trump. That doesn’t heal a single soul. That doesn’t help to prevent another mass shooting,” she said.
“Beto (phony name to indicate Hispanic heritage) O’Rourke, who is embarrassed by my last visit to the Great State of Texas, where I trounced him, and is now even more embarrassed by polling at 1 percent in the Democrat Primary, should respect the victims and law enforcement—and be quiet!” Trump wrote.
Conway said during the Aug. 6 interview that while Trump is denouncing white supremacy the Democrats are “out there denouncing him.”
“America, take a look at it and don’t forget it,” she said.
