Presidential Candidates Believe Trump's Rhetoric Linked To Dayton, El Paso Shootings: 'They Support Him'

Two dastardly mass shootings in the U.S, during the weekend at El Paso, Texas in Dayton Ohio has taken a political turn with a bunch of Presidential candidates from the Democratic Party blaming President Donald Trump’s white nationalist rhetoric responsible for the killings.

In the two incidents, gunmen killed 29 people.

The Democrats found fault with Trump’s “hate rhetoric” and said his statements instigated mass shootings in Texas and Dayton.

Meanwhile, police are examining the message by the alleged gunman in El Paso shootings to an online forum. It was filled with white nationalist language and racist hatred toward immigrants and Latinos for “taking away jobs.”

The presidential candidates shared their concern and revulsion at the “Trump factor” in the killings by gunmen. Their observations made some significant Trump news.

The 2020 hopefuls who spoke to CNN included former Texas Representative Beto O'Rourke, South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Ohio Representative Tim Ryan and California Senator Kamala Harris.

Reacting to questions on the mass shootings and how far Trump's alleged rhetoric contributed to the escalation in recent gun violence, they said Trump’s white nationalist rants have certainly inspired fringe elements to fire at people.

When asked whether he believed Trump was a white nationalist, O'Rourke responded, “Yes. I do.”

The El Paso Democrat referred to Trump's record of calling Mexicans as “rapists” and describing asylum-seekers as an “infestation.”

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg said Trump made his career, politically, on demonizing Mexicans and “now we're seeing reports that the shooter yesterday had his goal as “killing as many Mexicans as possible.”

Hate legitimized from the top

The Mayor added that hate is being legitimized from the top.

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said “because this was a white supremacist manifesto he has no doubt “Donald Trump is responsible for this.”

Booker said Trump has “failed to do anything significant” to stop the mass availability of weapons to people who would harm others.

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro accused Trump of “fanning the flames of bigotry.”

Castro slammed Trump for creating a division for political gains.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Trump is a white nationalist and added "it breaks my heart" to say that “this is the person we have who is President of the United States.”

Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan said white nationalists adore Trump as a white nationalist. “And that's the crux of the problem. They support him.”

Ryan said the shooter's alleged manifesto is so similar to the language that you hear at a Trump rally and in his tweets.

California Sen. Kamala Harris did not call Trump a white nationalist but found an issue with the President's rhetoric creating negative consequences. She said Trump uses the “microphone in a way that is about sowing hate and division in our country."

Reaction from Trump’s camp

Meanwhile, President Trump expressed grief at the mass shootings and tweeted that he ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on federal buildings in honor of the victims.

In his reaction, White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney dismissed insinuations against Trump.

“People are going to hear what they want to hear,” Mulvaney said.

“My guess is this guy's in that parking lot out in El Paso, Texas, in that Walmart doing this even if Hillary Clinton is president.”

A few others in Trump sought to answer the Democrats' comments on Trump's rhetoric.

Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee attacked O'Rourke on Twitter after the former El Paso congressman called Trump a “white nationalist.”

“A tragedy like this is not an opportunity to reboot your failing presidential campaign. This is disgusting and wrong,” she tweeted.