As millions across the country are reeling from three mass shootings in the past week in California, Texas and Ohio, Rihanna is criticizing Trump’s side-stepping response.
In response to Saturday's shooting in El Paso, Texas, Trump called the incident “tragic” and “an act of cowardice,” reports Spin.
“I know that I stand with everyone in this country to condemn today’s hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people…” the tweet continued.
However, just hours later, when the massacre in Dayton took place, the FENTY Beauty creator took to Instagram to slam the president’s complacent take on the mass shootings.
“Um…Donald, you spelt ‘terrorism’ wrong! Your country had 2 terrorist attacks back to back, hours apart leaving almost 30 innocent people dead,” she wrote.
In the post, Rihanna also called out contradictions with domestic terrorism and immigration, saying, “Imagine a world where it’s easier to get an AK-47 than a VISA!”
Other celebrities, including Cardi B, also challenged Trump for his lax response and inability to label the mass shootings as acts of domestic terrorism and white supremacy.
“We have enough information already!” the Bodak Yellow rapper tweeted. “Both of the shooters are white supremacist terrorist with intentions to kill minority’s [sic].”
We have enough information already!Both of the shooters are white supremacist terrorist with intentions to kill minority’s .Law enforcement took rapid action but what are YOU going to do to control some of your RACIST SUPPORTERS? https://t.co/P4iYAJa34L
— iamcardib (@iamcardib) August 4, 2019
According to the Associated Press, the president stayed at his New Jersey golf course in the hours following the weekend’s massacres. This, of course, is not the first time that Trump has faced severe backlash for his apathetic approach to white nationalist violence; after 2017’s “Unite the Right” white supremacist rally in Charlottesville that left Heather Heyer dead and dozens injured, he said there were “very fine people on both sides.”
HuffPost reports that John Bash, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, plans to examine the El Paso mass shooting as a domestic terrorism case.
“As I just said at the press conference, we’re treating El Paso as a domestic terrorism case. And we’re going to do what we do to terrorists in this country—deliver swift and certain justice. #ElPasoStrong #USA,” he tweeted.
More than 30 people in total were killed in last week's shootings.