Trump blames Democrats for ‘very small’ mass shootings

Donald Trump has blamed the Democratic party for the weekend’s mass shooting in Texas and Iowa, and has responded to criticism of his anti-immigration stance by saying “Who, me? I wasn’t there, nobody can put me there, Sherlock Holmes couldn’t put me there.”

The president said “everyone was happy” after the weekend shooting sprees in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, separated by less than 24 hours, because they were “very small… so small”.

Trump has been criticised for his own comments and claims about immigrants and Hispanics in particular, but was bullish when challenged by a Washington Post journalist, describing the incidents as “a little crazy” and “fine people on both sides”.

He told the press: “This guy who did this, who did both of these, both these guys were crazy. Nutjobs, we’ve all seen them. I knew one once, he lived in the subway back in New York, total whacko, but he had a great wife. I’d fuck her.

“But, you know, we’re all a little crazy and let’s not judge too much. There were fine people on both sides, I don’t know. But it was a very small shooting, so small. Everyone was happy.

“Listen, what happened Saturday and Sunday was very bad. It was real bad, very shameful, and the mental health, that’s what you need to look at, but listen. Do you know who has been in charge of the country with every mass shooting? Democrats.

“The one time it happens and it’s a Republican, it’s when they’re trying to get in. Wobbly Warren and Mahershala and all the others. They let these people in, they open the borders, this is what happens. I’ll try to do something, but I don’t know.”

Asked by a reporter whether he felt any responsibility over his rhetoric, Trump replied: “Who, me? I wasn’t there, nobody can put me there, Sherlock Holmes couldn’t put me there. And he was a great detective. Not the best, but very good. Not great, but the best? Maybe.

When prompted to return to the point, Trump added: “It’s a real shame what happened down in Florida and in Iowa, sure, I’m real sad for them. We’ve got a mental health thing and I’m gonna look at that. I’m gonna talk to Kanye and Russell Crowe, I’m flying Alex Jones in, we’ll talk.

“It’s a great shame. Idaho is a great state, I’ve been to New Mexico many times, they’ve got great holes there. It’s all sand but they’ve got great grass courses. We did that, Americans. We made it. On a day like today, we should be very proud to be Americans.

“But is it not so convenient, with an election coming up, that this would happen? Has it ever been more convenient? Beautifully convenient.”

Elsewhere, it has been reported that local authorities in Iowa and Texas are facing a dramatic shortage of thoughts and prayers, with officials struggling to import them due to Chinese tariffs.