MSNBC anchor Mika Brzezinski suggested that President Trump “seems to want” mass shootings to occur.
The Morning Joe anchor was critical of the president’s response to two mass shootings that left over 30 people dead in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio over the weekend.
“Isn’t it okay to deduce that at this point this is what he wants? He is inciting hatred, inciting violence, inciting racism,” Brzezinski said. “If he doesn’t unequivocally call it off and say, this is wrong and we stand together against this and we are doing this, this and this to help fight hate crimes — I mean, this is a president who seems to want these things to happen. How else can this be explained? If he doesn’t call it off.”
Joe Scarborough responded, “As you know, he’s inciting hatred now and he’s been inciting hatred up until yesterday because he sees that as a good political strategy.”
Despite Brzezinski’s comments, the president did offer potential avenues that could prevent future shootings when he addressed the nation on Monday morning.
“We must make sure that those judged to pose a grave risk to public safety do not have access to firearms and that if they do, those firearms can be taken through rapid due process,” Trump stated. “That is why I have called for red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders.”
“In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy,” the president added.
We cannot let those killed in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, die in vain. Likewise for those so seriously wounded. We can never forget them, and those many who came before them. Republicans and Democrats must come together and get strong background checks, perhaps marrying….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2019
Trump also suggested changes to background checks for guns on Twitter before the speech but did not address it while speaking.
