"We
should soundly reject language coming out of the mouths of any
of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred or
normalizes racist sentiments," Obama said in a statement posted
on Twitter that did not refer to President Donald Trump by name.
The shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, killed 31
people.
A 21-year-old white man has been charged with capital murder in
Saturday's shooting spree in Texas. Police in El Paso cited a
racist, anti-immigrant manifesto posted online shortly before
the shooting, which they attributed to the suspect.
Democrats said Trump was indirectly to blame for the attack in
Texas, with some drawing connections between his rhetoric to a
resurgence in nationalism and xenophobic sentiment.
Trump on Monday proposed tighter monitoring of the internet,
mental health reform and wider use of the death penalty in
response to mass shootings.
Trump did not address accusations that his own anti-immigrant
and racially charged comments have contributed to a rise in race
tensions, nor did he call for broad gun control measures.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Dan Grebler)
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