Trump, a Republican, responded to accusations from Democrats about him fueling racial tensions by stating that Americans must denounce racism, bigotry, and white supremacy. This statement came after Texas officials suggested that racial hatred may have been a factor in the mass shooting in El Paso, where a 21-year-old white man has been charged with capital murder. The police in El Paso linked the suspect, Patrick Crusius, to a racist and anti-immigrant manifesto posted online before the shooting. Trump did not address claims that his own remarks have fueled racial tensions, nor did he call for comprehensive gun control measures. Instead, he emphasized the need to defeat these harmful ideologies in his remarks at the White House. "Hate should not be tolerated in America. It distorts thinking, damages the heart, and destroys the soul." Democrats criticized Trump for focusing on mental health and social media instead of implementing laws to prevent gun violence. Trump is scheduled to visit El Paso on Wednesday, according to Mayor Dee Margo. Beto O'Rourke, a former congressman and El Paso native running for the Democratic presidential nomination, believes Trump should not visit the city. Beto O'Rourke tweeted on Monday that the president, who he believes played a role in fostering the hatred that led to the tragedy in El Paso, should not visit the city. O'Rourke emphasized the need for healing and unity rather than division. Other Democratic presidential candidates also criticized Trump for his rhetoric on immigrants, holding him responsible for the attack in Texas. Five Democrats attended the annual conference of UnidosUS in San Diego, the largest Hispanic advocacy group in the US. The group's president, Janet Murguia, referred to Trump as the "radicalizer-in-chief." Joe Biden, the current Democratic frontrunner and former vice president under Barack Obama, focused on gun attacks in his opening remarks, urging Trump to address the issue of hatred fueled by divisive rhetoric. Obama, who was unsuccessful in implementing gun restrictions during his presidency, also called on Americans to reject divisive language without directly naming Trump. In a statement, Obama emphasized the importance of rejecting any language used by leaders that promotes fear, hatred, or racism. Trump's 2015 presidential campaign began with negative characterization of Mexican immigrants as criminals, and he has continued to refer to illegal border-crossings from Mexico as an "invasion." The recent shootings in El Paso and Dayton resulted in multiple deaths, including Mexican citizens in the El Paso attack. The motive behind the Dayton shooting remains unclear. Kellyanne Conway, a White House adviser, confirmed on Fox News that President Trump plans to visit both El Paso and Dayton following recent mass shootings. She did not provide specific dates for the trips. The increased concern about gun violence and the threat of racist and white-supremacist ideologies in recent years has led to calls for background checks and red flags to prevent such attacks. Trump, who has been criticized for not addressing domestic extremist groups more aggressively, stated that he would direct the US Justice Department to investigate domestic terrorism and propose legislation that would impose the death penalty on those who commit hate crimes and mass murder. He also emphasized the need to reform mental health laws to identify troubled individuals and to collaborate with social media platforms to identify potential mass shooters. "We need to ensure that individuals considered to be a serious danger to public safety are not able to obtain firearms, and if they already have them, they can be taken away quickly through a fair legal process," stated a US Senator, possibly alluding to "red flag" laws. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a supporter of President Trump, mentioned discussing legislation with Trump that he plans to introduce in September along with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. This legislation would allocate federal funding to states that choose to implement these laws. "Red flag" laws allow law enforcement to confiscate guns from individuals deemed to be a potential threat of violence. Trump also mentioned the need for "strong background checks" for gun buyers in a tweet on Monday, although he did not provide further details and it was not the main focus of his recent statement from the White House. He stated in the speech that it is mental illness and hatred that causes someone to pull the trigger, not the gun itself. This statement was quickly criticized by another Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Amy Klobuchar, who accused Trump of avoiding the topic of gun control. Klobuchar pointed out that while mental illness and hate exist worldwide, the US has a high rate of gun violence. Following a mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, Trump suggested banning bump stocks, which allow semi-automatic weapons to function like machine guns. The ban was implemented in March, but Trump decided against making extensive changes to gun laws. In a tweet posted in the morning, Trump urged for bipartisan actions to enhance background checks, potentially alongside "urgently required immigration reform." However, Democrats, who have opposed Trump's strict immigration policies, dismissed the idea of linking the two issues. Lawmakers are not expected to come back to Capitol Hill from their summer break until September. The US House of Representatives, controlled by Democrats, has approved a bill that requires universal background checks for those purchasing guns. Democratic leaders are pressuring Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell to bring the Senate back into session to vote on the bill. McConnell, however, is calling for bipartisan collaboration to address mass shootings, criticizing what he sees as political posturing and rhetoric.