In the wake of a shooting in a Kentucky high school that left two teenagers dead and more than a dozen injured — the 11th school shooting of 2018 — the White House indicated it has no desire to talk about shootings at all.
On Wednesday, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked what the White House is doing to prevent mass shootings.
"First and foremost, to recognize that any loss of life is incredibly sad, and any shooting at any school across this country is something that should never happen," Sanders said. "Students fearing for their lives while they're attempting to get an education is unacceptable, certainly in this administration and by this administration."
That answer didn't sit well with reporters, who wanted to know if and when the White House would do something about the continued gun violence. After more than 50 people were killed in an October mass shooting in Las Vegas, the White House said that gun restrictions were part of a policy discussion "that we can talk about in the coming days."
"Look, I just read off a lot of the things that he's doing," an annoyed Sanders responded.
When a reporter pushed back, saying that Trump has been silent on the shooting, Sanders accused the reporter of being "complicit."
It took Trump more than a day to respond to the shooting on his favorite platform — Twitter. While slamming the Senate minority leader and taking credit for the economy on Wednesday morning, he was silent on the tragedy — one which has become all too common.
Trump's election can be traced in part to backing from the NRA. And during Trump's first year in office, the gun rights group has been focused on portraying Trump in the most positive light possible, while at the same time pushing a White House talking point that crime is out of control.
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