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President Trump spoke to reporters at the White House before leaving for Dayton and El Paso.
"I think my rhetoric it brings people together," he says, per @justinsink
"I think my rhetoric it brings people together," he says, per @justinsink
"My critics are political people. They're trying to make points. In many cases they're running for president and very low in the polls," Trump said.
"They're trying to make political points, I don't think it works, I would like to stay out of the political fray," he says.
He opens the door to doing more on background checks.
"I'm looking to do background checks. I think background checks are important," Trump said.
(The House passed a background check that Republican Mitch McConnell has not yet advanced. Unclear if Trump means that bill.)
"I'm looking to do background checks. I think background checks are important," Trump said.
(The House passed a background check that Republican Mitch McConnell has not yet advanced. Unclear if Trump means that bill.)
And President Trump has now arrived to take off for Ohio. (We're about 25 minutes behind schedule for the day.) 
(He flies onward to El Paso after a stop in Ohio. The White House has not yet released or publicized the precise locations that he and the First Lady will visit.)
More from President Trump's remarks at the White House.
"I am concerned by the rise of any group of hate," he said. "Whether it's white supremacy, whether it's any kind of supremacy, whether it's antifa."
"I am concerned by the rise of any group of hate," he said. "Whether it's white supremacy, whether it's any kind of supremacy, whether it's antifa."
He criticized Joe Biden. "Joe is a pretty incompetent guy," he said. He's now broadsided Beto, Biden, Sanders and Warren so far today.
He talked about South Korea and U.S. defense costs, and also about China.
China "admitted" it was a currency manipulator, he said. (No.)
"I think the market reaction was anticipated. I would have anticipated - I would maybe have anticipated even more," he said, per @justinsink.
China "admitted" it was a currency manipulator, he said. (No.)
"I think the market reaction was anticipated. I would have anticipated - I would maybe have anticipated even more," he said, per @justinsink.
And now we're taking off. Next stop: Dayton, Ohio (150 miles south of Toledo).
President Trump has arrived in Dayton.
Greeters include:
Governor Mike DeWine (who clapped), Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator Rob Portman, Rep. Mike Turner and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.
Greeters include:
Governor Mike DeWine (who clapped), Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator Rob Portman, Rep. Mike Turner and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.
Trump speaking at length with Portman. Press can't hear the remarks.
Whaley had earlier struck a less-than-thrilled tone about the visit.
"I'm disappointed with his remarks, I think they fell really short, he mentioned gun issues one time," she had said. On guns, she said this of Trump: "I don't know if he knows what he believes, frankly."
"I'm disappointed with his remarks, I think they fell really short, he mentioned gun issues one time," she had said. On guns, she said this of Trump: "I don't know if he knows what he believes, frankly."
And, the mayor earlier on the timing of the visit:
"Look, he's the president of the United States; he does his calendar, I do mine." 😬
"Look, he's the president of the United States; he does his calendar, I do mine." 😬
We still aren't sure where the President is visiting here, precisely.
Elsewhere in Dayton, there's a protest and a baby Trump balloon.
Elsewhere in Dayton, there's a protest and a baby Trump balloon.
Trump is visiting Dayton's Miami Valley Hospital to thank first responders and hospital staff, as well as meet with victims and families, per the White House.
A woman held a "We Can End Gun Violence" sign next to the road, as the motorcade slowed to pull in to the hospital.
We're told the President is upstairs in the hospital meeting people.
Press are being held in the shipping and receiving bay at ground level.
Press are being held in the shipping and receiving bay at ground level.
Now we're being held elsewhere. We can't yet see or hear the President, or those he's meeting with.
Per the President's press secretary, this is happening.
(Note that press so far have no access to it or ability to verify, witness etc.)
(Note that press so far have no access to it or ability to verify, witness etc.)
One hour after the President arrived at the hospital here in Dayton, press travelling with him haven't seen him and are now warned that we might not see him during this visit.
Another tweet from the President's press secretary, describing the President's visit to the hospital here in Dayton.
(We are unable to verify whether this happened; this, and her previous tweet, are all the pool press have access to at the moment.)
(We are unable to verify whether this happened; this, and her previous tweet, are all the pool press have access to at the moment.)
President Trump is about to head back to the airport here in Dayton, before heading on to El Paso.
(I spoke too soon. Press are waiting in the motorcade, which usually means we're leaving. But the President appears to still be inside the hospital, speaking with folks.)
Supporters and protesters as the motorcade leaves the hospital. (One sign read: "Not normally a sign person, but yikes")
"Welcome to Toledo - Not" was another.
Back at the plane.
No remarks from the president. Headed to El Paso now.
Off to El Paso now. (Note to those few who may be following along: the trip is about an hour behind schedule right now, which is not atypical for trips by major world leaders.)
Hello from El Paso.
During the flight, the President's @PressSec spoke to press about the Dayton visit.
"This was about the victims and their families, and thanking medical staff. It wasn't about a photo-op for the President and the First Lady."
And 👇
During the flight, the President's @PressSec spoke to press about the Dayton visit.
"This was about the victims and their families, and thanking medical staff. It wasn't about a photo-op for the President and the First Lady."
And 👇
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The @PressSec said none of the shooting victims raised the issue of gun control with the President during his Dayton visit.
(Again, press weren't brought in, so we can't verify that.)
(Again, press weren't brought in, so we can't verify that.)
"It wasn't about supportive or not supportive; I can tell you everybody received him very warmly, everybody was very, very excited to see him, everybody was taking pictures with him, the law enforcement officers were I think happy to be able to tell what happened," she said.
The greeters in El Paso include Gov. Greg Abbott, senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, and El Paso Mayor Dee Margo (who the President once called "full of crap.")
(Allow me to note the difference between that and the arrival greeting earlier today in Dayton, seen in this photo below, where random officials just happened to obscure the press's view of the President meeting the Dayton mayor, a Democrat who'd been critical of him.)
Didn't notice earlier, but also among the greeters for the President in El Paso: Mark Morgan, Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Per the White House, the President and First Lady will visit with first responders, hospital staff, and victims and their families at University Medical Center of El Paso.
(Unclear as to whether any portion of this visit will be open to press.)
"It wasn't about a photo-op."
Media have been at the El Paso hospital for just over an hour, and have been held in an elevator lobby. We haven't seen the President or First Lady since their arrival.
From the various photos and videos the White House released (from a visit they excluded press from on account of not wanting to make it a photo-op), these are the victims the President and First Lady look to have met with. (1/2)
In addition to photos with victims, the president also took several photos with hospital staff and first responders, per the images released by the White House.
The White House hasn't said whether he met with any families of those who died. (2/2)
The White House hasn't said whether he met with any families of those who died. (2/2)
Press are now being brought back to the motorcade. We didn't see the President or First Lady during the stops at either hospital, here or earlier in Dayton.
Other screengrabs from the video.
The White House just issued a press release from the not-a-photo-op event that has five photos embedded in it.
The President and First Lady are now heading to visit the Emergency Operations Center in El Paso, to thank law enforcement personnel, per the White House.
Spotted as we pulled into the latest stop.
Unclear if press will see the President or First Lady at this stop. We're being held in a conference room.
We have been moved to a hallway.
Trump took the media into two rooms at this stop.
In one, he met with Glendon Oakley Jr., who has been hailed as a hero for saving kids in the El Paso shooting.
In one, he met with Glendon Oakley Jr., who has been hailed as a hero for saving kids in the El Paso shooting.
In that room, he took a question. @AshleyRParker asked why he was attacking Democrats on a day he said was supposed to be about unity.
He said Democrats were playing politics, criticizing Sherrod Brown and the Dayton Mayor in particular.
"They shouldn't be politicking today."
He said Democrats were playing politics, criticizing Sherrod Brown and the Dayton Mayor in particular.
"They shouldn't be politicking today."
Then he went into a bigger room of first responders. There, he thanked them and spent time meeting several of them.
"All over the world they're talking ab otu the job you've done," he said. "The job you've done is incredible."
"All over the world they're talking ab otu the job you've done," he said. "The job you've done is incredible."
He also raised his El Paso rally from earlier this year, saying he could have sold it out four times over.
El Paso says he hasn't paid the bill yet for that rally.
He also told the room that his administration has sent El Paso a lot of military equipment in the last 2.5 years.
El Paso says he hasn't paid the bill yet for that rally.
He also told the room that his administration has sent El Paso a lot of military equipment in the last 2.5 years.
Trump is headed now back to the airport.
Back to DC.
President Trump spoke on the plane and said -- if anyone had this on today's bingo card -- he’s “very strongly” considering commuting the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
And we're back.
Goodnight, all.
Goodnight, all.
