Mulvaney Calls out Media for Only Using Select Parts from New Zealand Killer’s Manifesto: ‘Absurd’

EXCERPT:

WALLACE: In his 74-page manifesto, the shooter wrote this, I want to put it on the screen.

Were/are you a supporter of Donald Trump? As a symbol of renewed identity and common purpose? Sure.

What does the president think of that?

MULVANEY: Yes, in fact, I'm a little disappointed, you didn't put up the next sentence, which the next sentence, because I looked at it last night, was, what about his policies and he's a leader, and he said, dear god, no.

I don't think it's fair to cast this person as a supporter of Donald Trump any more than it is to look at his -- sort of his eco-terrorist passages in that manifesto that align him with Nancy Pelosi or Ms. Ocasio-Cortez.

This was a disturbed individual, an evil person, and to try and tie him to an American politician from either party probably ignores some of the deeper, difficulties that this sort of activity exposes.

WALLACE: I want to make it clear. I take your point, and I want to make it clear, the only person responsible for this slaughter is the shooter, not President Trump. But some critics have said that he has contributed over the years to anti-Muslim.

Here is one of his statements from the campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT: I think Islam hates us. There's something -- there's something there -- there's a tremendous hatred.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And after the attack, Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand tweeted this: Time and again, this president has embraced and emboldened white supremacists -- and instead of condemning racist terrorists, he covers for them.

And some folks were disturbed that after we saw the manifesto, after the shooting, which said that he was doing this to kill, quote, invaders, the president said this when he was signing his veto message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: People hate the word "invasion" but that's what it is. It's an invasion of drugs and criminals and people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: I understand and I very much agree that the president is not responsible for this action but has he considered, given the fact that some people seem to feel that he has given them cover, has he considered giving a major speech condemning anti-Muslim white supremacist bigotry?

MULVANEY: You've asked a couple questions. So, let's go back and talk about what Senator Gillibrand said. Look, there's folks that just don't want the president and everything that goes wrong, they're going to look for a way to tie that to the president.

So, if you see the word "invaders" in the manifesto, they see that passage and say, my goodness, there must be some connection between this. That's just absurd to say there's some type of connection between being against illegal immigration, which is what the veto was about, for legal immigration, and the ruthless live streaming of murder of 15 people. The two things have nothing to do with each other.

WALLACE: But let's forget all of that.