President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the two cities struck by deadly shootings over the weekend, Dayton and El Paso, the White House said Monday.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters that the President will travel to the cities to express his condolences and help provide resources, adding that he wanted to hear more from the El Paso and Dayton mayors and those directly affected by the tragedies.
The exact date for the visits is yet to be announced, but El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said he would meet with President Trump while he visits Wednesday to discuss his community’s specific needs.
An overall of 31 people died and dozens of others were injured in the mass shootings linked with racist and white supremacist ideologies. Trump said in an address at the White House that the nation needs to condemn white supremacy and promised to take measures to prevent further such tragedies from happening.
But, while he blamed video games and mental illness for the mass shootings, Trump did not acknowledge his own role in them. He also didn’t endorse any measures that would expand background checks for firearm sales, although he had done so earlier Monday, CNN reports.
During the address, the President had a slip of tongue, offering condolences to the people of Toledo, which provoked Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, who said, “I’ve heard that he’s coming Wednesday but I have not gotten a call. And you know, he might be going to Toledo, I don’t know,” referring to Trump’s upcoming visit to his city.
He further said the tragedy that cost 22 people their lives was perpetrated by a “hateful, evil…white supremacist.”
“I don’t know how we deal with evil. I don’t have a textbook for dealing with it other than the Bible. I’m sorry. We are going to go through this,” the mayor said.
Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar, who represents El Paso, stressed Monday that Trump was not welcome in her community.
“Words have consequences, and the President has made my community and my people the enemy,” she noted. “He has told the country that we are people to be feared, people to be hated. He has done that at his rallies. He has done that through his Twitter.”
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