President Joe Biden joked about the Nashville school shooting when asked if he believes Christians were targeted on Tuesday.
A reporter asked the president for his view on the matter and noted that Sen. Josh Hawley believes that the transgender school shooter was targeting Christians.
"I probably don’t then," Biden laughed. "I’m just joking. No, I have no idea." Reporter to Biden: Josh Hawley thinks Christians were targeted
Biden: I probably don’t then.
*Laughs* I’m just joking. pic.twitter.com/PJfjQ0DLfI
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 29, 2023
The shooting at the Covenant School, which is Christian, on Monday left three nine-year-old children and three adult staff members dead.
The transgender shooter, Audrey Hale, 28, reportedly left a "manifesto" explaining her motive — however, the Nashville Police Department has not yet released it to the public.
Hawley has called for the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to investigate the shooting as a hate crime against Christians.
The Missouri Republican responded to Biden's "joke" during an appearance on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News Tuesday evening. School children were killed yesterday in a hate crime - but rather than pushing for answers, Joe Biden is trying to make jokes. It’s beneath the office of the presidency pic.twitter.com/NS7mgLV0vJ
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 29, 2023
“That is totally beneath the dignity of the office of the presidency of the United States. This is a guy, this is an office, that has the responsibility of leading this country — children are dead,” Hawley said.
“Biden should be acknowledging the targeting of people of faith. He should be saluting the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line and saved hundreds of kids. But he should be saying we’re going to get to the bottom of this, we’re going to call it for what it is — a hate crime — and we’re going to do a full investigation and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” the senator continued.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has not yet called the shooting a hate crime.
“We are certainly working full-time with [authorities] to try and determine what the motive is, and, of course, motive is what determines whether it’s a hate crime or not,” Garland said during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing.
