Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Friday that the overnight snipper attack in Dallas that killed five police officers at a Black Lives Matter protest was a “attack on our country” and pleaded for a restoration of law and order in America.
“It is a coordinated, premeditated assault on the men and women who keep us safe,” said Mr. Trump, who cancelled a rally scheduled for Friday in Miami because of the killings. “We must restore law and order. We must restore the confidence of our people to be safe and secure in their homes and on the street.”
Mr. Trump said that the “senseless, tragic deaths” of two black men in separate police-involved shootings Tuesday in Louisiana and Minnesota served as a reminder of “how much more needs to be done.”
He said that the country has become “too divided.”
The Dallas sniper, who also wounded seven other police and two civilians, told police negotiators that the he was angry about the two police-involved shootings and wanted to “kill white people.”
“This morning I offer my thoughts and prayers for all of the victims’ families, and we pray for our brave police officers and first responders who risk their lives to protect us every single day,” said Mr. Trump. Our nation has become too divided. Too many Americans feel like they’ve lost hope. Crime is harming too many citizens. Racial tensions have gotten worse, not better. This isn’t the American Dream we all want for our children.”
Mr. Trump concluded: “This is a time, perhaps more than ever, for strong leadership, love and compassion. We will pull through these tragedies.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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