After deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, refuses to discuss gun control: 'We're not going to talk about that today'

After Stephen Paddock killed 58 people and injured hundreds at a Las Vegas country music festival using semi-automatic rifles with bump stocks, Trump called it 'an act of pure evil' but refused to discuss gun policy. When asked if the U.S. has a 'gun violence problem,' Trump dismissed the question saying 'We're not going to talk about that today.' He called Paddock a 'sick' and 'demented man' and said 'we'll be talking about gun laws as time goes by.' The shooting was the deadliest in modern American history. Trump wouldn't address gun control until the Parkland shooting five months later, and even then only to ban bump stocks over a year after Las Vegas. His refusal to engage showed the power of NRA influence and Republican unwillingness to address gun violence.

"We're not going to talk about that today." — Response to question about gun violence problem during Las Vegas visit, October 4, 2017