--- title: Read President Donald Trump's Remarks on Las Vegas Shooting description: President Trump described the Las Vegas massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, as "an act of pure evil" canonical: https://time.com/4965168/read-donald-trump-las-vegas-shooting-transcript/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-10-02T15:38:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2024-01-24T11:46:18.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: 'Our Unity Cannot be Shattered by Evil.' Read Trump's Remarks on Las Vegas Shooting og:description: He said he will visit Las Vegas later this week og:url: https://time.com/4965168/read-donald-trump-las-vegas-shooting-transcript/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf158ca8a98ea57f1/6988e02bfb4eaccec7893f6b/donald-trump-las-vegas-shooting1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: President Trump Delivers Remarks On Mass Shooting In Las Vegas og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'Our Unity Cannot be Shattered by Evil.' Read Trump's Remarks on Las Vegas Shooting twitter:description: He said he will visit Las Vegas later this week twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf158ca8a98ea57f1/6988e02bfb4eaccec7893f6b/donald-trump-las-vegas-shooting1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:25 video:published: 2017-10-02 section: politics topics: mass shooting, Las Vegas attack, national unity, first responders, victims' families, condemnation of violence, grief and mourning, public tragedy genre: speech, press statement tones: solemn, sympathetic, resolute, reassuring emotions: grief (high), anger (medium), gratitude (medium), hope (medium) sentiment: negative audience: general public, American citizens, victims' families, law enforcement people: Donald Trump organizations: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department content_suitability: violence [00:05-00:23]; death [00:15-01:07]; crime [00:05-00:15]; tragedy [00:00-02:25] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # 'Our Unity Cannot be Shattered by Evil.' 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. 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=694b7f05-2639-4e64-8e24-ead97d8eb2b8&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."_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary A presidential address responds to a shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas that killed more than 50 people and wounded hundreds. The speaker describes the attack as pure evil, thanks police and first responders for their rapid response, and expresses prayers and support for the victims' families. The address closes by calling on national unity, faith, family, and shared values. ## Key points - The speaker says a gunman opened fire on a large crowd at a country music concert in Las Vegas, Nevada, the previous night. (00:05) - The speaker states the gunman brutally murdered more than 50 people and wounded hundreds more. (00:15) - The speaker calls the attack an act of pure evil. (00:23) - The speaker thanks the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and first responders for their courageous efforts in saving lives. (00:33) - The speaker says the shooter was found very quickly after the first shots were fired, which prevented further loss of life. (00:45) - The speaker says hundreds of citizens are mourning the sudden loss of a loved one, including parents, children, and siblings. (01:07) - The speaker tells the families of the victims that they are being prayed for and that the government is there for them. (01:24) - The speaker calls on Americans to unite through their faith, family, shared values, citizenship, community ties, and common humanity. (01:46) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:33] Condemning the Las Vegas shooting. The speaker describes the shooting at the country music concert, the death toll, and calls it an act of pure evil. - [00:33 to 01:07] Honoring first responders. The speaker thanks police and first responders for their rapid and professional response that saved lives. - [01:07 to 01:46] Addressing grieving families. The speaker acknowledges the families mourning lost loved ones and offers prayers and support. - [01:46 to 02:25] Calling for national unity. The speaker urges Americans to come together through shared bonds and asserts that love defines the nation. ## Key quotes - [00:23] President Donald Trump: "It was an act of pure evil." - [00:33] President Donald Trump: "I wanna thank the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and all of the first responders for their courageous efforts." - [01:24] President Donald Trump: "To the families of the victims, we are praying for you and we are here for you." - [01:46] President Donald Trump: "In moments of tragedy and horror, America comes together as one." - [02:08] President Donald Trump: "Our unity cannot be shattered by evil." ## Questions this video answers - What happened at the country music concert in Las Vegas? [00:05] - How many people were killed and wounded in the Las Vegas attack? [00:15] - How does the speaker describe the attack? [00:23] - Which agencies and people does the speaker thank for their response? [00:33] - What message does the speaker give to the families of the victims? [01:24] - How does the speaker call the nation to respond to the tragedy? [01:46] ## Content suitability - violence [00:05-00:23]: Describes a mass shooting at a concert in which people were killed and wounded. - death [00:15-01:07]: References more than 50 deaths and the loss of loved ones. - crime [00:05-00:15]: Describes a deliberate attack by a gunman on a crowd. - tragedy [00:00-02:25]: The entire address responds to a mass casualty event. by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Jan 24, 2024 11:46 AM UTCPublished: Oct 2, 2017 3:38 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 [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Jan 24, 2024 11:46 AM UTCPublished: Oct 2, 2017 3:38 PM UTC President Donald Trump called the [mass shooting in Las Vegas](http://time.com/4964666/madalay-bay-las-vegas-shooting/) that left at least 58 dead and more than 515 wounded “an act of pure evil” Monday, offering his prayers and condolences to the victims. “He brutally murdered more than 50 people and wounded hundreds more. It was an act of pure evil,” [Trump said](http://time.com/4965063/las-vegas-shooting-trump-response/). “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.” Trump said he will visit Las Vegas Wednesday to meet with [victims and first responders of the Las Vegas massacre](http://time.com/money/4964866/las-vegas-shooting-how-to-help-victims/). Las Vegas police identified the shooter as [64-year-old Stephen Paddock](http://time.com/4964803/las-vegas-shooting-suspect-stephen-paddock/). Police said Paddock unleashed his rampage on the Route 91 Harvest music festival from the 32nd window of his hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, which overlooks the outdoor venue on the Las Vegas Strip. Read the President Trump’s full statement below: --- > “” --- ## Transcript [00:00] We are joined together today in sadness, shock, [00:05] and grief. Last night a gunman opened fire [00:10] on a large crowd at a country music concert [00:15] in Las Vegas, Nevada. He brutally murdered more [00:19] than 50 people. And wounded [00:23] hundreds more. It was an act of pure [00:28] evil. I wanna thank the Las Vegas Metropolitan [00:33] Police Department, and all of the first responders for [00:37] their courageous efforts. And for helping to save the [00:41] lives Of so many. The speed [00:45] with which they acted is miraculous and [00:49] prevented further loss of life. To have found the [00:53] shooter so quickly after the first shots were fired is [00:57] something for which we will always be thankful. [01:02] And grateful. It shows what true professionalism [01:07] is all about. Hundreds of our fellow citizens are now [01:11] mourning the sudden loss of a loved one, a parent, a [01:15] child, a brother or sister. We [01:20] cannot fathom their pain. We cannot imagine Their [01:24] loss. To the families of the victims, we [01:28] are praying for you and we are here for you. And [01:32] we ask God to help see you through this very [01:36] dark period. In moments of tragedy and horror, [01:42] America comes together as one. And [01:46] it always has. We call upon the bonds [01:50] that unite us. Our faith, our family, and our shared [01:54] values. We call upon the bonds of citizenship, the [01:59] ties of community, and the comfort of our common [02:03] humanity. Our unity cannot be shattered by evil. Our [02:08] bonds cannot be broken by violence. And though we [02:11] feel such great anger at the senseless murder [02:16] of our fellow citizens, it is our love that defines us [02:20] today, and always will forever. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4965168/read-donald-trump-las-vegas-shooting-transcript/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4965168/read-donald-trump-las-vegas-shooting-transcript/"},"headline":"'Our Unity Cannot be Shattered by Evil.' 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