President Donald Trump took a few moments early Friday afternoon to address Thursday’s horrific mass shooting at a local and highly-regarded Maryland newsroom that left five people, including four journalists, dead, and two others injured.
The president’s remarks stunned some, when he said, “my government will not rest until we have done everything in our power to reduce violent crime and to protect innocent life.”
Presidents in the United States tend to specify their role more respectfully, saying, “my administration.” It is rare to hear a president say, “my government,” which tends to minimize the role of the co-equal legislative and judicial branches of government.
The president was reading from a teleprompter when he made his remarks, which were very carefully chosen. For example, he also made certain to insert the qualifying word “violently” into this part of his remarks: “Journalists, like all Americans, should be free from the fear of being violently attacked while doing their job.”
President Trump’s almost daily attacks the media, going so far as just days ago, and many times before, calling them “the enemy of the people.”
Watch:
Many on social media expressed anger and outrage over Trump’s remarks: