Trump seeks cover from Fox News as criticism mounts

President quotes ‘Fox & Friends’ to criticize Obama on mass shootings after warning about political division

ANALYSIS | One day after he warned the country about political division and the “perils” of social media, President Donald Trump contradicted himself with a series of tweets criticizing his predecessor and a perceived big-tech nuisance. And he again turned to his favorite cable network for an assist.

The president addressed the country Monday morning in a speech meant to console the families of the victims of two deadly weekend mass murders in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. Gunmen opened fire in a WalMart in the former and an entertainment district in the latter. The violence has prompted calls for Trump to call on Congress to interrupt its August recess to send him gun-control legislation.

But Trump did not call for any legislative action that would get a bill on his desk to make it harder for would-be mass shooters to buy firearms. He did, however, denounce white supremacy amid criticism about his rhetoric about an “invasion” of the U.S. by Central and South American migrants — something echoed in an online manifesto penned by the El Paso shooting suspect.

View the complete August 6 article by John T, Bennett on The Roll Call website here.