All three networks on Thursday reacted similarly to Donald Trump’s speech about the mass shooting in Broward County, Florida, knocking it at as free of calls for gun control and specific policy. Yet, the President, did mention mental health reform, something that NBC’s Chuck Todd seemed to miss.
Todd complained: “That was President Trump, as you heard there, deciding not to address any policy ideas at all in his remarks, leaving it mostly trying to strike an empathetic tone.” He derided: “I guess what struck me most about those remarks is, they made a lot of sense if he uttered them yesterday. Today it feels as if he's almost about eight hours behind.”
In fact, the President said this on policy:
We are committed to working with state and local leaders to help secure our schools and tackle the difficult issue of mental health. Later this month, I will be meeting with the nation's governors and attorney generals where making our schools and our children safer will be our top priority. It is not enough to simply take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference, we must actually make that difference.
Over on CBS, Norah O’Donnell asked reporter Major Garrett what Trump said that was different. He huffed, “Not much.” Garrett dismissed: “If the country in any way, shape or form was yearning for some recognition that firearms played a role in this catastrophe, you got none of that from President Trump. Only a focus on mental health which has been the place that the Republican Party and President Trump has leaned on in the aftermath of mass shootings.”
Later, the journalist described efforts to repeal ObamaCare as gutting mental health efforts that could stop shootings:
If you look at the actual record of this administration dealing with mental health, when there was a conversation on Capitol Hill about repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, there were cuts there, long-term cuts there, parts of the American bureaucracy that deals with mental health especially for those that don't have access to mental health through insurance of their own.
On ABC, Cecilia Vega prompted: “Again, right now, Robin, the big question for this White House going forward, when is the time if not now to talk about gun control? Perhaps this is the shooting that will inspire them to take up this policy discussion.”
Vega made similar remarks on Wednesday night.
Partial transcripts are below. Click “expand” to read more:
NBC
2/15/18
11:27We are committed to working with state and local leaders to help secure our schools and tackle the difficult issue of mental health. Later this month, I will be meeting with the nation's governors and attorney generals where making our schools and our children safer will be our top priority. It is not enough to simply take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference. We must actually make that difference.
...
CHUCK TODD: That was President Trump, as you heard there, deciding not to address any policy ideas at all in his remarks, leaving it mostly trying to strike an empathetic tone. But it was surprising that he decided to strike that tone today given what we heard from Governor Rick Scott, from the superintendent down there, from the Broward county sheriff's office. Where you have even the governor is already talking about, what do you do to keep mentally ill people from actually being able to purchase a gun. That is something that the President stopped short of even entering into a conversation on that. Let me bring in Peter Alexander watching this at the White House. Peter, I guess what struck me most about those remarks is, they made a lot of sense if he uttered them yesterday. Today it feels as if he's almost about eight hours behind.
PETER ALEXANDER: Yeah, Chuck, I think that's exactly right. I spoke to a senior administration official earlier who said advisers to the President urged him, recommended yesterday that he speak immediately in the aftermath of the shooting. Yeah, chuck, I think that's exactly right. I spoke to a senior administration official earlier who said advisers to the President urged him, recommended yesterday that he speak immediately in the aftermath of the shooting, but he's the one who opted not to, waiting until today to speak. I was struck by him saying in those remarks, to Americans, children, watching right now. “We are here for you. We will do in effect whatever we can to help you to ease your pain.” But the real question right now is, how? What capitol? What effort is this administration, this President willing to put behind this right now? Prayers and condolences are one thing.
Symbolic gestures like lowering the flag as they did — or even visiting that community I think will satisfy some. But clearly in the wake of now three of the top ten deadliest shootings now happening since President Trump took office, the real question is, what more will happen? Remember the conversation we had after the massacre in Vegas, over those bump stocks that allow a rifle to shoot more rapidly, the President said it's too soon to talk about it, months have passed and the conversation ended in effect, they haven't been talking about it since. It's been up to the states independently to take any action. Will the President try?
TODD: And Peter, I'm struck by again, it's as if the President didn't watch the press conference that proceeded his remarks. Because one of his closest political allies, Rick Scott, somebody who politically would be seen as a friend of the NRA, he already introduced the idea that he wants to look into what can we do to the background check system, essentially to prevent mentally disturbed people purchase a gun. He was introducing that idea and the fact that the President wouldn’t even follow that lead, I thought, was striking. I don’t know if he even uttered the word gun.
CBS coverage
2/15/18
11:30NORAH O’DONNELL: Major Garrett is at the White House, what did you hear different from the president?
MAJOR GARRETT: Not much. The President really did the logistics of yesterday, which most of the country is already well familiar with, described the need to come together. He's done that before after mass shootings. If the country in any way, shape or form was yearning for some recognition that firearms played a role in this catastrophe, you got none of that from President Trump. Only a focus on mental health which has been the place that the Republican Party and President Trump has leaned on in the aftermath of mass shootings. But if you look at the actual record of this administration dealing with mental health, when there was a conversation on Capitol Hill about repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act there were cuts there, long-term cuts there, parts of the American bureaucracy that deals with mental health especially for those that don't have access to mental health through insurance of their own.
ABC coverage
2/15/18
11:30CECILIA VEGA: As you mentioned there, that question as he walked out of the room, will he do anything about guns as it relates to gun control laws in this country, that is going to be the major question going forward. Not just for this White House but this Congress of course. The President touched in his remarks on the issue of mental illness as it relates to these mass shootings.
...
VEGA: Again, right now, Robin, the big question for this White House going forward, when is the time if not now to talk about gun control? Perhaps this is the shooting that will inspire them to take up this policy discussion.
