Donald Trump on Sunday sought to downplay the mass shooting that left at least seven dead near Odessa, Texas. A 17 month-old baby was also shot in the face, and hospitalized in stable condition.
"First responders, law enforcement, the police, the FBI, Governor Abbott, incredible the job they did," Trump opined to reporters on the White House lawn. "It is tragic. But they did it an incredible job under the circumstances. Another very sick person, so I just want to thank you everybody involved."
"As bad as it was, it could have been worse, but it was certainly bad, very very sad situation," he added.
When pressed on gun legislation, Trump argued that improved background checks would not have stopped any of the recent mass shootings.
"We’re looking at a lot of different things," he said, "We’re looking at a lot of different bills, ideas, concepts. It’s been going on for a long while."
Trump continued: "Background checks, I will say that for the most part, sadly, if you look at the last four or five, going back even five or six or seven years, for the most part, as strong as you make your background checks, they would not have stopped any of it. So it’s a big problem. It’s a mental problem. It’s a big problem."
