“The suspect said he was upset about Black Lives Matter; he said he was upset about the recent police shootings. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers,” Dallas Police Chief David Brown told reporters
In his initial response, Obama, like Trump, did not single out black nationalists or the movement associated with the heinous act. Instead, Obama said that he was “horrified” by the “vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement.”
“There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement,” said Obama. “Anyone involved in the senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done.”
Obama also used the moment as an opportunity to push for more gun control. “Today is a wrenching reminder of the sacrifices they make for us,” Obama said of police officers. “We also know when people are armed with powerful weapons, unfortunately, it makes attacks like these more deadly and more tragic.”
When Obama was given more time to address the Dallas massacre at the funeral of the five officers, he not only did not condemn black nationalists or radical Black Lives Matter activists, he used the platform as a way to double down on his gun control agenda, reiterate his claim that systemic racism plagues the criminal justice system, and push for more public investment in minority communities and schools. The media largely fawned over the “Lincolnesque” speech