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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019.Trump condemns white supremacy; O'Rourke says he should stay away from El Paso
By Roberta Rampton and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
106 Comments
plasticmonkey
Exactly.
CrazyJoe
What do background checks have to do with immigration reform?
In 2018 there were 323 mass shootings in America, and not one was done by a person who entered the country illegally.
PTownsend
Good on Trump for saying that! I'll believe he means it when he says the same thing at his next taxpayer funded pep rally.
when someone has a gun.
Strangerland
Well, my soul rests a little better knowing that Trump has given the 2019 equivalent of his thoughts and prayers. I'll sleep a little better after the next mass murder now.
Strangerland
I also rest a little better knowing that the president has felt so deeply for the people of Toledo.
stormcrow
It's strange that the man who is part of the problem is now pretending to be part of the solution.
Strange days indeed.
PTownsend
I question the value of background checks in limiting gun violence, but at least it's a start. In checking they should ask how many guns and what kind of guns the potential purchaser already has. Owning multiple weapons should be a red flag, a sign the person has mental/emotional issues.
Once again Moscow Mitch and Leningrad Lindsey Graham blocking. In addition to getting money from Moscow, are they also getting big campaign contributions from the guns and ammo industries? For those who believe US intelligence agencies and not Moscow's, recall Russian's involvements in the NRA.
Strangerland
Might have to start calling him Murder Mitch.
Strangerland
I feel for Trump's position though. He has to walk a delicate line, after all, every mass gun murder since 2016 in the US has been by a Republican, but he can't go around condemning his own team. So he has to find a way to dance between these two issues, and well, Trump isn't the best dancer. It's made harder by the fact that 'thoughts and prayers' now has the image of being an empty comment, so they need to be more creative in finding ways to condemn the murderers.
FizzBit
Oh the knees are gonna be jerking today...
His motive was not clear. Not clear? Huh? What? C’mon Roberta Rampton and Richard Cowan, you can do better than that. Everyone knows by now that Betts was an antifa and Left supporter who still had an unbalanced obsession with guns and video games that kill.
The power of the MSM compels you!
bass4funk
I completely disagree, I collect and own quite a few firearms, I don’t have a mental condition nor do I have emotional issues, you have to go deeper, having an Arsenal doesn’t make you a criminal or a menace, the red flags are more what happens in the chat rooms, manifestos, life history, child abuse, domestic violence etc.
Yes and one reason for that is because Democrats only want to talk about aggressive ans radical gun control and that won’t happen. Democrats need to be rational and leave the rhetoric aside.
This is exactly the reason why the Democrats are going to lose the WH. with statements like that.
Blacklabel
Trump condemns white supremacy. No liberal reaction, just “but he didn’t (something else)”
thats what tells me this is all disingenuous. Well that and the lying from liberals and profane outbursts by “Beto” O’Rourke
Blacklabel
The Ohio one will just fade away. It would be gone already if it hadn’t happened the same day. If mueller was testifying this week, topic would have changed already.
PTownsend
I'm curious to hear what the alt right might say. I held my nose and quickly scanned infowars RT, and Fox'news', a couple of their usual outlets, but could only find condemnation of O'Rourke.
Blacklabel
As O’Rourke should be condemned. Both for his language and for trying to use this tragedy to get more votes.
Strangerland
The 'pubs HAAAAATE it when people treat Trump the way they treated Obama. They DETEST it. It makes them ANGRY. It makes them OUTRAGED.
Blacklabel
It’s sad that they can’t come up with any policies that will get them elected.
Have to beg all the identity politics people, manufacture outrage, then tell the minorities once again they they will really do something this time.”just vote for us one more time, we promise”.
Wolfpack
Too bad Obama wasn’t following his own advice when he was hobnobbing with Lois Farrakhan and going after white cops with a broad brush. Obama has no standing to pretend he is virtuous when his support for the Black Lives Matter group led directly to the murder of five cops in Dallas.
What are you talking about? Obama got an eight year honeymoon. Trump was under attack before he even took office. As for outrage, have you seen the list of Hollywood stars who have threatened physical violence against the president? You are living in an McMansion sized bubble.
PTownsend
I hope it doesn't. The butcher who slaughtered those people, including his sister, was reported to have used a semi-automatic weapon with a magazine that held 100 rounds.
A civilian having that much fire power? If the extreme interpretation of the 2nd Amendment permits this, the US is even more scr&wed.
Toasted Heretic
Thank you, Mr President.
Of course not. He's still trying to scrub the blood off his hands.
Toasted Heretic
I completely disagree.
Toasted Heretic
Nonsense. The birthers were out to get him before he was elected. Obama also received death threats at the same time. A 400% increase on his predecessors.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/5967942/Barack-Obama-faces-30-death-threats-a-day-stretching-US-Secret-Service.html
Black Sabbath
I’ll just repeat my standard prescription: the only real answer is to ban semi-automatic firearms.
Ban them now.
This is obviously not going to happen anytime soon, but it should be the goal.
The only way to move public opinion on this issue is to start saying this clearly, loudly, and persistently.
bass4funk
Drugs, mental illness, suicide rate of young men, boys growing up without fathers, kids that are isolationists are more prone in life to become mass shooters, lack of accountability, juveniles that are more prone to being incarcerated or having problems with authority, lack of respect for the law, these are some of the real reasons that need to be looked at as two reasons why these mass shootings occur.
So this person was a socialist, satanist leftist as he described himself, so the Democrats are responsible not a peep? Interesting....
u_s__reamer
"Mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun,"
Who's the wordsmith writing Trump's "best words"? The sweaty snake-oil salesman is going to need more than rhetorical devices to talk his way out the tangled racist, right-wing web he's woven at his cracker-barrel rallies. A man who has no respect for words is beginning to discover that words no less than the dollar do have consequences.
PTownsend
Whatever his politics are, he had weaponry that sane countries only permit their military and police to have.
Keep weapons that sane countries only permit their military and police to have away from ALL AMERICANS, regardless politics, race, gender, religion, etc.
Toasted Heretic
Unlike the far right, we don't go in for violence. So, a big NO to that, thanks.
PTownsend
Can you provide 'proof' (your term) President Obama was 'never challenged on anything and never confronted'. And given past 'credibility', saying you already have done so won't cut it.
What? Another translator failure.
Toasted Heretic
I'm not a liberal.
And as far as I can see, you have no argument on the topic. You have failed to condemn white supremacy and have not come up with any measures on gun control. Instead, an ill-advised rant on single parents, Obama and suicides.
It's really simple - the second amendment is 230 years old. You're not living in the 18th century, anymore. Less guns means less lives taken.
stormcrow
Mr. Noidall,
Trump has described these people as vermin and an infestation. It sounds like it's straight out of the mouth of another famous German dictator of the 1920s and 30s. Joking when somebody at one of his rallies shouted. "Shoot them!", Trump responded, "Only in the panhandle!"
This is all fine and dandy if you're David Duke, but not when you're the president of the United States.
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
Abraham Lincoln
lincolnman
If you watch Trump, you know he has two speech modes...
There's the "real" Trump you get at his crazed rallies, where's he's riffing and ranting and believing every word that comes out of his mouth...
Then there's the "fake" Trump - the Trump that stands in front of a teleprompter and remotely recites the words as written...and you know he doesn't believe a word he's saying...
The fake Trump read the teleprompter today....
Toasted Heretic
Aye, no spittle flying today. A measured, scripted piece and no doubt he was unhappy to have to read it. You could see it in his face.
I imagnine he'll be blaming the horrific terrorist attacks on video games, next.
Jimizo
Are there any types of firearms you’d like to see out of circulation?
Why do people need assault weapons? My understanding is they are designed to kill lots of extremely efficiently.
lucabrasi
Typical right-wing thinking.
1) Improve mental health care, because these people are clearly ill and in need of help.
2) Execute the human scum.
lincolnman
Did Warren attend a rally and hear someone shout "Shoot Them" and just joke about it?
Did Warren say the US was under an "invasion" by immigrants?
Did Warren call Mexicans "criminals and rapists"?
Did Warren say that caravans of immigrants contain "MS-13 and terrorists"?
The four most deadly mass shootings over the past 70 years occurred from 2017 to present - that time period match up with anything you're aware of?
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/03/us/texas-el-paso-walmart-shooting-among-deadliest-trnd/index.html
Hate that you spew out every day Mr President...it's what enables these kooks to go out and gun down innocent people...
SuperLib
He also said a Latino judge shouldn't be ruling on his case since Trump is white and there might be resentment against him on immigration. That's to say Latinos can't be trusted to do their jobs as impartial judges because they are lesser.
Oh, almost forgot, he pardoned a sheriff in Arizona who was blatantly and willfully violating the rights of Latinos, even after the court ordered him to stop, which he didn't.
But I hope he gave a nice speech today.
SuperLib
Well, given his loss in two discrimination lawsuits as well as what I posted above, I guess my reality is pretty safe.
Toasted Heretic
False equivalence. Betts appears to be an incel kid, motivated by warped sexual ambition and a hatred of women.
The common factor of both massacres is easy access to guns. But political rhetoric and racial intolerance played a huge part in the El Paso murders.
There was no political motive or inspiration for Dayton.
Toasted Heretic
There is zero proof of that.
bass4funk
Remember who appointed him, that’s one main reason.
No, that’s to say, just like liberals accuse Barr of is carrying the Presidents water, that’s where that comes from.
So Many broke the law and as the sheriff, he should do his job, that’s what he’s there to do, his job.
No and as he said as the sheriff his job is to “uphold the law” written in the books and not what a judge that sits behind the bench thinks
I agree.
CrazyJoe
Beto's display of raw, uncensored emotion stands in stark contrast to a President who is incapable of even the slightest amount of empathy. Beto spoke for us all today; and in his sometimes stumbling for words proved himself to be eloquent beyond measure.
stormcrow
Mr. Noidall: "Truth and facts are never appropriate for some."
Do you mean like a warped leader who pumps up and excites his white nationalist followers to act as judge, jury and executioner?
lincolnman
That's exactly the issue, but we understand why you don't want to admit it. This is a perfect example of the Trumpers weak attempts to deflect responsibility for their President's hate-speech and racist tweets, that enable and motivate these murderers to go out and mow down innocent people with military assault weapons.
The proof is right in front of your eyes...
Jimizo
Why do people need military grade assault weapons? Wouldn’t it be better to change their name from ‘assault’? It almost gives the impression they are designed to fire lots of bullets in a short amount of time, thus inflicting damage extremely efficiently.
Surely the gun nuts can come up with a fluffier name.
Blacklabel
love how Dems get all tough like "trump better not come here!"
Not like he needs your invitation, Robert Francis. He is something you will never be, a President.
Blacklabel
And Biden spoke for all the people in Michigan and Houston, who wonder what he is talking about.
Beto, he spoke for his Iowa caucus hopes. Orange man bad.
Toasted Heretic
Racism is illogical and irrational. There are plenty of bigots who are in mixed marriages.
Famous abolitionists and their supporters (like Charles Dickens) were passionate against slavery but felt themselves superior to black people. Dickens disliked them and their appearance, this is made clear in his American Notes for General Circulation.
Ronald Reagan is another example of someone who claimed not to be racist but used racist terms like "monkeys" and was a supporter of apartheid in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) and South Africa.
Anyway, the claims that Trump is not racist have been well and truly debunked many, many times. These attempts to excuse and deny his bigotry are spurious and serve only to deflect from the cancer eating away at American society.
lincolnman
As we discussed yesterday, you are saying there are two reasons this judge is not capable of ruling on immigration;
He is Hispanic American (and a US citizen) - so his race disqualifies him. That is the textbook definition of racial discrimination...
The other reason is "who appointed him" - that being America's first Black President....
You just proved you're a racist twice...
Chip Star
But a rich kid acting like a redneck is perfectly acceptable. Got it.
Toasted Heretic
Clinton is an elitist idiot.
But even so, her rhetoric didn't contribute to El Paso.
This horror is a symptom of Trumpism and the availability of guns. Time to be honest with yourselves and take ownership.
bass4funk
This is just stupid, you can’t admit something that just isn’t true. Since liberals can’t prove any of these racist allegations, they will try to move the goalpost on what they want to perceive as racist and gloss over the issues they feel doesn’t serve their narrative that is equally related as this one.
Blacklabel
talking about Robert Francis? the billionaire "skateboarder" who likes to stand on top of tables where people eat their food? Do you have any idea how rich Robert is, through his wife? (not like he did anything)
bass4funk
Not me, Trump’s reason.
But here is one component to that empty logic, you can’t prove the intent of his actions as being racist, if you can’t prove that, you lost the case.
You do know he is biracial
For telling the truth? I know that’s the liberals favorite word.
Chip Star
This is how serious Donny is about firearms violence:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-roll-back-obama-regulation-mental-illness-201139682.html
Between Donny, Moscow Mitch, and Leningrad Lindsey, nothing is getting done on anything.
Raw Beer
Political motives are only reported if it fits the narrative of the powers-that-be...
... and the race is only included if it fits the narrative of the powers-that-be.
Texas A&M Aggie
The MSM should be full throated in laying the blame of the El Paso massacre at the feet of liberals. Among other issues/beefs the shooter claims he has, he was angry over our government's coddling of illegals.
When democrat socialists supports/encourages ignoring existing laws, it should come as no surprise to anyone when some twisted individual chooses to take matters into his own hands.
Chip Star
Agreed. Wouldn't it be great if immigrants went back to their countries and helped make those countries great?
Tangerine2000
Those who say there isn't a problem with white supremacists and mass shootings need a reality check.
In 98 mass shootings carried out in 2019, 21 were committed by white men.
https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1158286557738164225
https://www.docdroid.net/grcnGaG/2019-shooters.docx#page=12
cleo
It’s perfectly possible.
Anyone who takes Trump at his word is a kook by definition, and kooks are easily influenced by the likes of flyboy Donny.
CrazyJoe
Trump says white supremacy and sinister ideologies ‘must be defeated.’
He's right. Trump must be defeated.
bass4funk
Hogwash, then that means as human, we don’t have the ability to think for ourselves, that’s a very socialist group think to say. We command you, we rule and guide you.
Jimizo
Come socialist on, Bass. You must socialist admit that Trump socialist has a habit socialist of lying. He at the very socialist least cannot stop socialist exaggerating. He socialist outlined this in socialist in his art of the socialist.
bass4funk
Towards whites, sure seemed like it for 8 years.
The dog and pony show, the fake croc tears, yeah...lol...Beto will never sit in the Oval Office that God for that.
No! Beto spoke as a Democrat Presidential contender, that is slipping (thankfully) in the polls.
Uh-huh...lol...the man is all over the place, but for now, it’s amusing and soon he’ll be with the spiritual woman off in the dust bin of politics.
Sneezy
No it didn't.
You keep saying "Trump can't be racist, he hired two, count 'em, TWO black people". Well, Obama hired well more than two white people. He even chose one as his VP. That makes him not racist, according to your logic.
PTownsend
Most modern neuroscientists say just that. And not just about those who some say might be 'sane'. Think about schizophrenics ( there's a spectrum), the neuroatypicals (another spectrum) and those with OCD (one more spectrum). Think about how effective cults have always been at keeping many from 'thinking for themselves'. Think about how many people believe authoritarians, won't even begin to question what they say, only parrot their slogans. These true believers seem unable to think for themselves.
lincolnman
Which you supported and approved of...
I haven't the faintest idea what that means, but its in black and white that you said this judge wasn't qualified because of his race and who appointed him...
Your words - you said he was unqualified because of "who appointed him"...a person of color...
Yes, it is quite true that your words above clearly show that you are a racist...
And it's a trend with Trumpers here; one Trumper yesterday said "call a spade a spade", and another said Rep Cummings should use "ebonics" and "hot sauce"....
Your own words offer more evidence of your racism that any "liberal" can...
Raw Beer
Whites make up over 70% of the US population but only committed 21% of the mass shootings (according to your stats). When you say "reality check", what do you mean by "reality"?
Or perhaps what you meant to say is:
Those who say there is a problem with white supremacists and mass shootings need a reality check.
Strangerland
Yeah, the real problem is with the Republican party, as can be seen by the fact that every last mass shooter in the US since 2016 has been Republican.
bass4funk
Yes, it did.
If he didn’t have any blacks in his cabinet you guys would still call him a racist.
And yet, so many Christian White voters over the flyover states that got Obama over the finish line later voted for Trump.
Speaking of, why won’t the former President support his former VP? Where is the love?
Wolfpack
The only way to get action is to amend the US Constitution. The anti-gun side won’t even talk about it for some reason. It’s mind boggling. It will be impossible to regulate the right to bear arms without changing the 2nd amendment. Meanwhile everyone is looking for a shortcut. Banning guns and then removing them from the populace will be next to impossible- there are more guns than people in the US. But reducing the number cannot begin without the amendment first. Attempting to do otherwise will make criminals out of regular law abiding people.
SuperLib
White supremacists are probably over the moon right now. Finally their time (and guy) has come.
sunfunbun
Guns and especially multi round guns, are the root of most all mass murders, and they should be outlawed, but legislation will never happen in America for that to occur.
The sad thing is the rate of mass murders will likely not change in America, no matter what a terrible human being president such as Trump, or lawmakers do, such as the impossible, overturning the 2nd amendment. It's obvious an adherence to white supremacist ideology attracts misogynists, racists and guns. Legislation and action by politicians won't stop things, it's up to the conscience of people, and if this blog is any indication, there are too many hopeless individuals, who follow a demagogue and the dangerous Hitler type of narrative of finding flimsy excuses to kill people. People who follow demagogues are weak minded individuals who cannot reason properly, they follow prejudices and their own selfish desire over rational thought.
Sneezy
That's true, because he is a racist.
Cool, so do you retract the dozens of times you called Obama a racist, since according to you that's impossible to know?
bass4funk
He doesn’t have blacks in his cabinet, he’s a racist, he has blacks in this cabinet, he’s a racist, kind of an oxymoron there...lol
No.
Strangerland
Definitely the best time in the past 50 years to be a white supremicist in the USA.
Toasted Heretic
The language of bs is those trying to equate liberalism with socialism. It highlights a very poor grasp of politics and ideologies.
People have been murdered, fake patriots weep crocodile tears and polish their guns for some more game.
Blame video games next.
WilliB
Interesting to see that the Trump hating media circus is focussing on the shooting in Texas and pretty quiet about the one in Ohio.
Let me just make a wild guess.... the fact that the Ohio shooter was a registered democrat, voted in 7 last election, had his social media littered with anti-Trump rants, was a huge Elizabeth Warren fan, proponent of socialism, praised antifa, and bragged about being a member of the "anti Trump resistance" could have something to do with that? Just a little bit?
Just a little fly in the propaganda ointment that would spoil the narrative a bit?
Tell me I am wrong.
Strangerland
What are you talking about? It's been widely reported that he is a registered Republican.
Toasted Heretic
Like this?
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/05/us/connor-betts-dayton-shooting-profile/index.html
It's easy to see the correlation between Trump's violent rhetoric and racist rants and the El Paso shooter. Motive is less clear with the Dayton murderer. But you're wrong in your analysis, which is basically "my killer is better than your killer" dressed up in faux concern.
Both murderers had access to guns. Both had strong political views.
But which is more repellent to Trumpists, I wonder. Socialism or racism?
PTownsend
You and your organization follow 'the media' more closely than I so I don't know whether you're right or wrong.
Personally I'd like to see much greater attention paid to the fact that in the Dayton shooting a civilian used a semi-automatic weapon with a MAGAZINE HOLDING 100 ROUNDS.
WHY DOES A CIVILIAN NEED A MAGAZINE HOLDING 100 ROUNDS.
In sane countries only police and military have equipment like the Dayton shooter used. That's the issue I want more focus on.
lincolnman
Yep, that clearly looks like a wild guess...
How does a 24 year old vote in 7 elections?
Falsehoods like "his social media account was littered with anti-Trump rants" and "praised Antifa" are just pure fiction. It shows the desperation of the Trumpers to deflect from the fact that the El Paso shooter took the chant at Trump's rally to "Shoot Them" literally - the chant Trump just laughed at....
No, Trump's hate speech that motivates and enables these nuts can only be classified as "too much"...
bass4funk
No, we understand it very well, and there are a lot of socialist tenants that reside under the umbrella of liberalism.
Interest in coming from the people that conflate conservatism was Nazism.
What?
They do play a significant role in this, and Young developing minds, yes
bass4funk
Which paper and where does it say this?
Strangerland
In the ones I linked to above. Duh.
bass4funk
Ahh, the liberal paper of “Nothingism”
In the CNN universe....perhaps....
I see....
Like Bernie’s and Waters and Omar and Pelosi’s....
smithinjapan
Wait... I thought Trump said this happened in Toledo... from his golf course.
Serrano
O'Rourke says he should stay away from El Paso
O'Rourke's press conference in which he tried to cry but grinned instead was so cringeworthy. When is he going to pull out of the race?
stormcrow
It is strange that the hater-in-chief is so determined to visit a sad mess involving him.
Like the McCain family not inviting Trump to Sen McCain's funeral, the city of El Paso shouldn't have invited Trump either.