Trump condemns white supremacy after El Paso mass shooting

President Donald Trump says the United States must “condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy” after a mass shooting in the state of Texas that authorities said appeared to be a racially motivated hate crime.

A gunman on Saturday killed 20 people, including six Mexican citizens, at a Walmart store in El Paso, close to the border with Mexico. Just a few hours later, another gunman in Dayton, Ohio, killed nine people. Dozens of others were wounded in the attacks.

Investigators believe the shooter in El Paso uploaded a rambling screed online shortly before targeting a busy shopping area, railing against a perceived “invasion” of Hispanics coming into the US.

“The shooter in El Paso posted a manifesto online, consumed by racist hate,” Trump said on Monday in a televised address to the nation from the White House.

“In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy,” he added. “These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America.”

The Republican president did not directly address accusations from critics that his anti-immigrant and racially charged comments have contributed to a rise in hate crimes. Democrats hit hard at Trump on Sunday, with several of the party’s presidential candidates accusing him of white nationalism, “stoking fears and hatred and bigotry”. 

They cited Trump actions like calling migrants trying to enter the US through the southern border an “invasion” and verbal attacks on four Congresswomen of colour, in which he told them to “go back” to their countries of origin.   

On Monday, Trump blamed the nexus of hatred, mental illness and social media for deadly mass shootings, and said he was ordering the Department of Justice to investigate “domestic terrorism”, and propose legislation to ensure that those who commit hate crimes and mass murders face the death penalty.

He also said the country needs to reform mental health laws to identify disturbed people as well as work with social media companies to detect possible mass shooters.

“We must recognise the internet has provided a dangerous avenue to radicalise disturbed minds and perform demented acts,” he said. 

The president also signalled he would oppose large-scale fun control efforts pushed by Democrats, saying “Hatred and mental illness pull the trigger, not the gun.”

Earlier on Monday, he called for stronger background checks on gun buyers. But in his comments at the White House, he gave few additional details on what he would push for. 

“We must make sure 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,” he said.

Trump has previously called for background checks but then backed away.

At a February meeting with survivors and family members of the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting in which 17 people died, Trump promised to be “very strong on background checks”.

He claimed he would stand up to the gun lobby and finally get results in quelling gun violence. But he later retreated, expressing support or modest changes to the federal background check system and for arming teachers.

When the House of Representatives approved bipartisan legislation expanding background checks for gun sales that same month, the White House threatened a presidential veto if those measures passed Congress. 

It said the legislation would impose unreasonable requirements on gun owners.