Trump On Va. Shooting: 'This Isn't A Gun Problem. This Is A Mental Problem'

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump echoed other politicians' sadness over yesterday's on-air killing of two Virginia journalists during an interview with CNN on Thursday morning.

"It’s just too bad we couldn’t fix these things beforehand," Trump told CNN. But Trump said the way to fix it didn't have to do with guns. "This isn't a gun problem, this is a mental problem," Trump said. "It's not a question of the laws, it's really the people."

He talked about his support of the Second Amendment, but said preventing shootings can be difficult. "What are you going to do? Put him in jail for the rest of his life because he looks a little off?" Trump said. "Too bad that we can’t figure out beforehand, but it’s a pretty tough thing to do."

The real estate mogul said mental illness is a "massive problem" in America.

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/donald-trump-wdbj-shooting-response

[Botany]

1. <The real estate mogul said mental illness is a "massive problem" in America.>

And so making it easy for these mentally ill people to get guns has tragic results.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

3. Trump is uniquely qualified to discuss mental illness

as a tinfoil hat birther running as the candidate of crazy

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

2. or maybe it's a letting-mentally-ill-people-get-guns problem?

.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

11. That's it! You've solved the problem!!

[TexasProgresive]

4. Is this a self diagnosis?

Someone close to me had a "mental problem" but thought it was everyone else who had the problem. Trump and fellow travelers can't or won't recognize the problem is guns. It's people with guns who kill people. So the answer is less guns for more people.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

5. The problem, Donald, is that these shootings by mentally ill people occur when violent mentally ill

people get their hands on guns. So are you suggesting that in addition to universal background checks, we have universal psych evaluations for gun purchasers, and require ongoing mental health checks during the time they continue to possess guns?

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Rats in a Maze with Scarce Resources

become aggressive, competitive, even cannibalistic

There are a lot of rats with guns in our society

[handmade34]

7. simply...

the entire obsession with guns and guns rights in the United States is THE mental health issue

[tabasco]

8. The gutless coward knows better but he's pandering to the drooling mouth breathers. n/t

[turbinetree]

9. This tin foil twit...............................

hasn't read the first part of the second amendment " A WELL REGULATED MILITIA" and he has degree----oh boy.
He wants to lead the country---------------no thank you, I've had enough of the gun violence and the mis-interpertation from the likes of him, U.S. Supreme Court and the politicians that have no spine----------------88 humans are killed per day on average with a gun------------that's pretty disgusting

[woodsprite]

10. And mentally ill people on the edge can be pushed over the edge by hate

spewed by people like the Repubs, Tea Party, hate-radio, etc. have been spewing. They were spewing it before, then it ramped up greatly and has been a constant in print, television, radio and the public discourse for the last 8 years.

[damnedifIknow]

12. That's what they always say

Same old bull from the gun nuts after every mass shooting.

[Vinca]

13. I wonder what he'd say if his beautiful, blond daugher was shot to death.

There's something about righties. Problems are not problems until they affect them personally.

[samsingh]

14. i guess trump is mental

he better be careful. he's using imbeciles to shore up his support and these very same imbeciles could go out of his control.

trump is fomenting racism, anti immigration, lawlessness, white supremacy with his campaign and these forces could go into a destructive spiral.

clearly, to me, someone like trump, who would do this, is not fit to be an elected official or even call himself an American Citizen.

[d_legendary1]

15. I was watching Chris Hayes yesterday

and he gave some really alarming stats:

70% of mass shooting (defintion: minimum 4 people killed) incidents occured at home

42% of mass shooting incidents involve a current or former intimate partner

57% of mass shooting incidents involved a current/former intimate partner or family member

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mass-shootings-domestic-violence-women_55d3806ce4b07addcb44542a

All these problems are exclusive to the U.S. No other developed country can hold a candle to us in this regard. We're efficient at killing people and its all thanks to the NRA, our gun cluttered society, and the lax laws that enable anyone to become a murderer.

[truthisfreedom]

16. Trump: "Oh well, so sad, move along now..."

"It's too bad nothing can be done."

[Third Doctor]

17. Its both