White House press secretary Sarah Sanders defended President Trump on Tuesday, days after he drew backlash for appearing to blame the Parkland school shooting on the FBI’s investigation of Russia collusion.
In a series of tweets over the weekend, Trump said the FBI was “spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion” with his campaign that they missed several warning signs ahead of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 people dead and dozens more injured.
“I think he was speaking not necessarily that that was the cause,” Sanders told reporters. “I think we all have to be aware that the cause of this was the decision of a deranged individual.”
“He’s making the point that we would like our FBI agencies to not be focused on something that is clearly a hoax,” she said.
FBI officials confirmed last week that they received complaints involving Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old gunman who has confessed to entering his old high school with an AR-15 rifle last Tuesday.
Sanders declined to say whether the president agrees with Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who has called for the resignation of FBI Director Christopher Wray in the wake of the mass shooting.
“In terms of the inaction by the FBI, that’s currently being investigated and at this point, there’s not a lot I can say,” she said.
