Friend, “I don't think it's fair to try and lay this at the feet of the president." That was Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff, speaking yesterday on “This Week” on ABC. I have a different take: Trump absolutely is responsible for the mass shootings over the weekend. Add your name: Trump is responsible. Holding Trump responsible doesn’t excuse the shooters who pulled the triggers, nor does it absolve anyone contributing to the problem of violence and hate in our country. But we must not overlook the singular role of the President of the United States. Trump and the Republicans in Congress have blocked the most common sense, modest, first-step measures to stop mass shootings and address gun violence: Impose meaningful background checks on gun purchases and ban weapons of war from the streets. That, of course, continues a long history of total deference to the NRA and the gun lobby. But Trump has added something totally new to the toxic cultural mix that spews forth mass shooters: A constant stream of racist, anti-immigrant, sexist and hateful rhetoric. We’ve never had a president in modern times do anything like this. The truth is, there’s nothing shocking about the shooting in El Paso, which appears motivated by a sickening anti-immigrant white supremacist ideology. What would be shocking is if Trump’s constant attacks on people of color and immigrants did not spur more violence and encourage white nationalism. A couple hours ago, Trump read prepared remarks about the weekend shootings. He suggested a few policy responses that would do little or nothing to prevent future mass shootings, and which in any case he has little intention of pursuing (save, perhaps, increasing use of the death penalty). He also said, “In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy. These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America.” No one is fooled by the words Trump reads from a teleprompter in the wake of a national tragedy. Not when his more genuine, off-the-cuff remarks and tweets serve as daily evidence of his own racism and bigotry. By word and by deed, he has fostered a national culture of meanness and hatred. Together, let’s send a clear statement that Trump is responsible. Sign the petition. If you’re like me, today you are feeling deeply saddened, incredibly outraged and a little defeated. But here’s the one thing I know: we can’t afford to give up. Nothing changes unless we take action – and do it over and over again. So let’s hold Trump responsible and then make sure that the U.S. Senate acts to pass H.R. 8 — the background check legislation that already passed the House of Representatives in February of this year — and pass legislation to ban weapons of war from our streets. Onward, Robert Weissman
President, Public Citizen | 
