"Hate has no place in our country": Trump offers condolences after mass shootings

First Lady Melania Trump with President Donald Trump as he speaks about the weekend's mass shootings. Photo: Nicholas KammAFP/Getty Images

President Trump offered condolences after mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, this weekend, telling reporters in Morristown, New Jersey: "Hate has no place in our country and we're gonna take care of it."

"This has been going for years. For years and years and we have to get it stopped. Perhaps more has to be done. This is also a mental illness problem. These are people who are very, very seriously mentally ill."

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U.S. President Donald Trump denounced the two mass shootings in Ohio and Texas while speaking to reporters in Morristown, New Jersey, on his way back to Washington, Sunday, August 4. He said, "hate has no place in our country," and that "we're going to take care" of the problem. pic.twitter.com/BJ4a9Lru8x

— The Voice of America (@VOANews) August 4, 2019

Why it matters: Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney defended Trump Sunday against allegations that some of the president's past comments have downplayed the rising threat of white nationalism in the U.S., and that his divisive rhetoric is helping fuel violent domestic attacks like the shooting in El Paso.

Context: Police are investigating a racist online post that appeared just before Saturday morning's Texas attack. Evidence from authorities indicates that the shooting could be prosecuted as a hate crime.

Go deeper: What you can and must do to help stop mass shootings