President Donald Trump condemned the racially charged Portland, Oregon, train stabbings on Monday, tweeting that they were “unacceptable.”
“The violent attacks in Portland on Friday are unacceptable. The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them,” read the tweet from the official @POTUS account.
Trump had not previously commented on the matter.
Vice President Mike Pence echoed Trump’s sentiment on Twitter.
“Well said, Mr. President,” he tweeted Monday afternoon. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the heroes in Portland and the loved ones they left behind.”
Portland police said two men were killed and another was wounded after a man now being held allegedly starting yelling hate speech toward two women, one of whom was wearing a hijab.
The two men were killed after intervening. Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, was 23 years old and a recent graduate of Reed College. Rick Best was a veteran who lived in a Portland suburb with his family. Michah Fletcher, a 21-year-old poet, survived although he sustained serious injuries.
The nature of the Portland attack, as well as the suspect’s racist and provocative actions at a rally in April, led many to call on Trump to denounce the attack and others like it.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Trump to speak out personally on the attack and “against the rising tide of Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry,” saying Trump had caused such a climate through his own statements and policies.