Donald Trump's Response To The Virginia Beach Shooting Is What You'd Expect
The president is weighing in on Twitter after a gunman opened fire on a municipal building in Virginia Beach on Friday, May 31, killing 12 people and wounding four. Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump's response to the Virginia Beach shooting echoes his previous statements in the aftermath of gun violence and sends his "condolences" to the community. The president's message is similar to what he's said before in the wake of a mass shooting.
One day after a deadly mass shooting at the Virginia Beach, Virginia Public Utilities Department, which the mayor of the city called "the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach," per CNN, Trump broke his silence on the tragedy via his social media platform of choice. After mass shootings, the president has typically headed to Twitter to share his sympathies and express his condolences to the victims of the attack and all those involved, and his response to the Virginia Beach massacre on Saturday, June 1 was no different.
"Spoke to Virginia Governor @RalphNortham last night, and the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Virginia Beach this morning, to offer condolences to that great community," he wrote to his followers.
He continued, "The Federal Government is there, and will be, for whatever they may need. God bless the families and all!" He did not clarify what he meant by the federal government supplying Virginia Beach with "whatever they may need," but his failure to even acknowledge it was a mass shooting is similar to some of his responses in the past.
While Trump's response is typical to his reaction in the aftermath of previous deadly shootings, it's a sharp contrast to fellow politicians who've been calling for action in the wake of the attack.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi released an official statement on June 1 calling on the Senate to bring commonsense gun laws to a vote.
“Yesterday’s tragic mass shooting in Virginia Beach has left another community shocked and heartbroken," she wrote. "Our deepest gratitude goes out to the first responders who have put their lives at risk to keep innocent people safe and provide critical care to those in need."
She continued:
The daily epidemic of gun violence continues to exact a devastating toll on our schools, community streets, houses of worship and workplaces. Too many communities and too many families have felt the unspeakable pain and anguish caused by gun violence. Honoring our responsibility to act to avert more tragedies, the House has passed commonsense, bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation. The Senate must bring these bills to a vote.
Fellow Democrats expressed similar sentiments. Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg wrote, "Another horrific shooting shocks the nation, this time in Virginia Beach. We grieve with those impacted even as we await more information. Already, this much is clear: it is unacceptable for America to remain the only developed country where this is routine. We must act."
Kamala Harris shared the same call to action, writing, "Heartbroken for the victims and their families of the Virginia Beach shooting and grateful for the first responders on the scene. This senseless act of violence should not be normal. Too many communities have been shattered by gun violence — we cannot continue to stand idly by."
From the sounds of things, the president's thoughts on the subjects haven't changed, but only time will tell whether Congress, with a Republican-majority Senate, moves forward to vote on implementing stricter gun laws in light of the recent attack.
