(CNN) — President Donald Trump called on the nation to condemn racism and white supremacy in a speech on Monday following two mass shootings, but stopped short of acknowledging his own divisive and racist rhetoric.
“The shooter in El Paso posted a manifesto online, consumed by racist hate,” Trump said in remarks from the White House. “In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy.
“These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America. Hatred warps the mind, ravages the heart and devours the soul,” Trump continued.
Trump’s comments followed tweets he sent earlier Monday, which suggested tying immigration legislation to strengthening background checks on gun owners following a weekend in which the alleged shooter in El Paso, Texas, is believed to have authored a racist, anti-immigrant document targeting Hispanics.
Trump also cited violent video games as a contributing factor to a series of deadly mass shootings dating back to the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy separately also cited video games in the wake of two massacres in Texas and Ohio that left at least 29 people dead.
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