President Donald Trump is defending his incendiary rhetoric in the wake of two mass shootings.
Trump said while leaving the White House on Wednesday to visit Ohio and Texas that he doesn’t think his rhetoric has contributed to violence, even though some of his words mirror language linked to one of the weekend’s shooters.
The Republican president says, “No, I don’t think my rhetoric has at all.” He claims his rhetoric “brings people together.”
Democrats vying to challenge Trump in the 2020 election have been nearly unanimous in excoriating Trump for rhetoric they say nurtured the racist attitudes of the El Paso shooter.
Trump also says he is “concerned about the rise of any group of hate,” whether it’s white supremacy, “any other kind of supremacy” or anti-fascist groups.
Trump says he’s going to “do something about it,” but he doesn’t say what.
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