--- title: How President Trump Responded to the Las Vegas Shooting description: President Trump addressed the nation as it mourns again. The massacre in Las Vegas was the most deadly mass-shooting in U.S. history. canonical: https://time.com/4964820/how-president-trump-responded-to-the-las-vegas-shooting/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-10-02T15:48:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:54:47.791Z article:section: Politics og:title: How President Trump Responded to the Las Vegas Shooting og:description: President Trump addressed the nation as it mourns again. The massacre in Las Vegas was the most deadly mass-shooting in U.S. history. og:url: https://time.com/4964820/how-president-trump-responded-to-the-las-vegas-shooting/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb24c27fcf0ec0da8/6986837dcd6848a30809364f/morning-must-reads1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Morning Must Reads og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How President Trump Responded to the Las Vegas Shooting twitter:description: President Trump addressed the nation as it mourns again. The massacre in Las Vegas was the most deadly mass-shooting in U.S. history. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb24c27fcf0ec0da8/6986837dcd6848a30809364f/morning-must-reads1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How President Trump Responded to the Las Vegas Shooting > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=46dad333-1bea-4dfd-8435-0ce23ad426e7&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump Condemns Las Vegas Shooting As "Pure Evil" [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Condemns Las Vegas Shooting As "Pure Evil"](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/JwnVuAip.m3u8) (2:25)  _Published 2017-10-02. President Donald Trump on Monday condemned the deadly shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, urging national unity and calling the Las Vegas attack "pure evil."_ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Oct 2, 2017 3:48 PM UTC President Donald Trump on Monday condemned the deadly shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, urging national unity and calling the Las Vegas attack "pure evil." by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Oct 2, 2017 3:48 PM UTC President Trump addressed the nation Monday as it mourns yet another mass shooting. The massacre in Las Vegas claimed the gruesome distinction of the most deadly mass-shooting in the nation’s history Sunday, as the gunman, identified by police as Stephen Paddock, opened fire on country music festival attendees from the 32nd floor of a nearby hotel. Trump called the shooting “an act of pure evil” and pledged support for all those affected by the tragedy. The federal government’s response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is ongoing, with more aid and personnel flowing into the territories each day. But the Trump Administration has found itself on the defensive over the pace of the assistance, with the president lashing out at critics online. Trump is still scheduled to tour the devastation in Puerto Rico Tuesday, and he announced he will visit Las Vegas on Wednesday to meet with victims, first responders, and their families. _Here are your must reads:_ **Must Reads** [More Than 50 Dead, 400 Injured in Mass Shooting on Las Vegas Strip ](https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/oct/01/reports-active-shooters-on-las-vegas-strip/)Deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history \[Las Vegas Sun\] [Donald Trump Ran Against Wasteful Spending. Now His Own Cabinet Is Under Fire ](http://time.com/4963373/tom-price-private-flights-donald-trump-promises/)It’s a culture problem \[TIME\] [Back at Full Strength, Supreme Court Faces a Momentous Term ](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/01/us/politics/supreme-court-term-2017.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news)Gerrymandering, religious freedom, and discrimination cases in play \[New York Times\] [Trapped in the Mountains, Puerto Ricans Don’t See Help, or a Way Out ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/trapped-in-the-mountains-puerto-ricans-dont-see-help-or-a-way-out/2017/10/01/7621867e-a647-11e7-ade1-76d061d56efa%5Fstory.html?utm%5Fterm=.c877a8864e95)The slow pace of response frustrates victims \[Washington Post\] [Trump Tells Tillerson Talking to North Korea Is A Waste of Time ](https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-tells-tillerson-talking-to-north-korea-is-a-waste-of-time-1506876186)The president, in tweet, also says the U.S. will ‘do what has to be done’ with North Korea \[Wall Street Journal\] [Attacks in Havana Hit US Spy Network in Cuba ](https://www.apnews.com/d0fa8db258bf4c5492428e448e953102)Spies among first to be injured \[Associated Press\] [Trump Says He’s Trying to ‘Reduce Size of Government’ ](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/02/trump-says-hes-trying-reduce-size-government-but-hes-really-not/703252001/#)But he’s really not \[USA Today\] **Sound Off** “My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!” – President Trump in a Monday tweet “Hopefully this might have pulled us a little bit closer together. It’s easy for that to go away, but — I would hope that we — we focus on how we can achieve some of those things that we haven’t been able to get done yet.” — Rep. Steve Scalise to ’60 Minutes’ as he returned to work after being shot this summer **Bits and Bites** [‘We’re Not That Far Apart.’ Steve Scalise Hopes for Political Unity After Near-Death Experience](http://time.com/4964486/steve-scalise-60-minutes-interview/) \[TIME\] [President Trump: Rex Tillerson Is ‘Wasting His Time’ With North Korea Negotiations](http://time.com/4964400/trump-twitter-rex-tillerson-north-korea/) \[TIME\] [FEMA Chief Slammed for Calling Puerto Rico Relief Efforts the ‘Most Logistically Challenging Event’](http://time.com/4964574/hurricane-maria-fema-brock-long-puerto-rico-logistics/) \[TIME\] [Donald Trump: Puerto Rico Wants ‘Everything to Be Done for Them’](http://time.com/4963903/donald-trump-puerto-rican-leaders-want-everything-to-be-done-for-them/) \[TIME\] [San Juan Mayor Responds to Donald Trump’s Twitter Attack](http://time.com/4963932/san-juan-mayor-responds-to-donald-trumps-twitter-attack/) \[TIME\] [Trump Health Secretary Tom Price Resigns After Private Plane Scandal](http://time.com/4963637/tom-price-health-secretary-donald-trump-private-jet/) \[TIME\] [Full text: Homeland security adviser’s update on Puerto Rico](https://www.axios.com/full-text-white-houses-tom-bossert-update-on-puerto-rico-2491599603.html) \[Axios\] [A North Korean ship was seized off Egypt with a huge cache of weapons destined for a surprising buyer](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/a-north-korean-ship-was-seized-off-egypt-with-a-huge-cache-of-weapons-destined-for-a-surprising-buyer/2017/10/01/d9a4e06e-a46d-11e7-b14f-f41773cd5a14%5Fstory.html?utm%5Fterm=.f035f7e3fcf2) \[Washington Post\] [Facebook to turn over Russia-linked ads](https://apnews.com/b676de0be00840b199dfde9113de99f2/AP-source:-Facebook-to-turn-over-Russia-linked-ads) \[Associated Press\] [Scalise: ‘They Said I Was Within a Minute of Death’](http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/02/steve-scalise-returns-congressional-baseball-shooting-215667) \[Politico\] [5 things to know as Benghazi terror suspect Khatallah heads to trial in D.C. court](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/02/5-things-know-benghazi-terror-suspect-khatallah-heads-trial-d-c-court/712401001/#) \[USA Today\] ## Transcript We are joined together today in sadness, shock, and grief. Last night a gunman opened fire on a large crowd at a country music concert in Las Vegas, Nevada. He brutally murdered more than 50 people. And wounded hundreds more. It was an act of pure evil. I wanna thank the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and all of the first responders for their courageous efforts. And for helping to save the lives Of so many. The speed with which they acted is miraculous and prevented further loss of life. To have found the shooter so quickly after the first shots were fired is something for which we will always be thankful. And grateful. It shows what true professionalism is all about. Hundreds of our fellow citizens are now mourning the sudden loss of a loved one, a parent, a child, a brother or sister. We cannot fathom their pain. We cannot imagine Their loss. To the families of the victims, we are praying for you and we are here for you. And we ask God to help see you through this very dark period. In moments of tragedy and horror, America comes together as one. And it always has. We call upon the bonds that unite us. Our faith, our family, and our shared values. We call upon the bonds of citizenship, the ties of community, and the comfort of our common humanity. Our unity cannot be shattered by evil. Our bonds cannot be broken by violence. And though we feel such great anger at the senseless murder of our fellow citizens, it is our love that defines us today, and always will forever. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4964820/how-president-trump-responded-to-the-las-vegas-shooting/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4964820/how-president-trump-responded-to-the-las-vegas-shooting/"},"headline":"How President Trump Responded to the Las Vegas Shooting","datePublished":"2017-10-02T15:48:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-08T09:54:47.791Z","description":"Morning Must Reads: October 2","url":"https://time.com/4964820/how-president-trump-responded-to-the-las-vegas-shooting/","keywords":["Morning Must Reads"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb24c27fcf0ec0da8/6986837dcd6848a30809364f/morning-must-reads1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Zeke Miller","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb24c27fcf0ec0da8/6986837dcd6848a30809364f/morning-must-reads1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Morning Must Reads","caption":"Capitol","creditText":"Mark Wilson—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4964820/how-president-trump-responded-to-the-las-vegas-shooting/","name":"How President Trump Responded to the Las Vegas Shooting"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"President Trump Condemns Las Vegas Shooting As \"Pure Evil\"","description":"President Donald Trump on Monday condemned the deadly shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, urging national unity and calling the Las Vegas attack \"pure evil.\"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/JwnVuAip/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-10-02T15:24:17.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/JwnVuAip.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4964820/how-president-trump-responded-to-the-las-vegas-shooting/","duration":"PT2M25S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4964820/how-president-trump-responded-to-the-las-vegas-shooting/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```