Donald Trump holds a press conference at Trump Tower in New York. (Getty)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has released a statement in response to the shooting of 12 police officers in Dallas, Texas.
In the statement, which was released on the candidate’s website and Facebook page, Trump calls the shooting a coordinated attack on our country.
Trump also for the first time makes reference to Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, saying that their deaths were senseless and tragic. He does, however, call Sterling a motorist even though he was stopped by police while selling CDs in a parking lot.
Trump was scheduled to deliver a speech on Republican unity this afternoon, but on Friday morning the event was removed from his schedule.
Here is Donald Trump’s full statement regarding the Dallas shooting:
Last night’s horrific execution-style shootings of 12 Dallas law enforcement officers – five of whom were killed and seven wounded- is an attack on our country. It is a coordinated, premeditated assault on the men and women who keep us safe.
We must restore law and order. We must restore the confidence of our people to be safe and secure in their homes and on the street.
The senseless, tragic deaths of two motorists in Louisiana and Minnesota reminds us how much more needs to be done.
This morning I offer my thoughts and prayers for all of the victims’ families, and we pray for our brave police officers and first responders who risk their lives to protect us every single day.
Our nation has become too divided. Too many Americans feel like they’ve lost hope. Crime is harming too many citizens. Racial tensions have gotten worse, not better. This isn’t the American Dream we all want for our children.
This is a time, perhaps more than ever, for strong leadership, love and compassion. We will pull through these tragedies.