President Donald Trump talks Wednesday at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas after meeting with survivors of the mass shooting. | Evan Vucci/AP Trump extends words of comfort to 'a nation in mourning'

President Donald Trump embraced the role of consoler-in-chief Wednesday, delivering a solemn address acknowledging the bravery of those in Las Vegas and the resilience of a nation enduring another tragedy at the hands of a mass shooter.

“The mass murder that took place on Sunday night fills America’s heart with grief,” the president said in prepared remarks from Las Vegas after meeting with civilian heroes and first responders. “America is truly a nation in mourning.”


A gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino into a country music festival, killing 58 people and injuring more than 500. Trump visited with victims, families and medical personnel earlier Wednesday at the University Medical Center. He asked God to heal the wounds, ease the suffering and expedite the healing of those who endured what he called a “vicious attack.”

“Many families tonight will go to bed in a world that is suddenly empty. The people they so dearly love were torn away from them forever,” Trump said. “Our souls are stricken with grief. For every American who lost a husband or wife, a mother or a father, a son or a daughter, we know that your sorrow feels endless. We stand together to help you carry your pain. You’re not alone. We will never leave your side.”

Although Americans struggle to explain to their children “how such evil can exist, how there can be such cruelty and such suffering,” Trump said, America can’t be defined “by the evil that threatens us or the violence that incites such terror.”

The president cast America as a nation defined by love and courage, a place where the goodness of its people shines in the darkest moments.

“Here on earth, we are blessed to be surrounded by heroes,” Trump said as he began recounting the bravery of officers on scene at Sunday’s massacre, as well as parents and spouses who shielded loved ones with their bodies. “Americans defied death and hatred with love and with courage.”

Trump recalled multiple stories of people’s courageous efforts that night but also conveyed the importance of unity as the nation begins to heal.

“In the months ahead, we will all have to wrestle with the horror of what has unfolded this week,” Trump said. “But we will struggle through it together, we will endure the pain together, and we will overcome together as Americans.”

The president had indicated earlier Wednesday, however, that he's not yet ready to discuss gun control in the wake of Sunday’s mass shooting.

“We’re not gonna talk about that today,”Trump told reporters before leaving the hospital. “We won’t talk about that.”

Trump lavished praise on medical personnel, police, first responders and civilians, commending them all for their “tremendous bravery.”

“What I saw today is just an incredible tribute to professionalism. And what they have done is incredible,” he said. “And you never wanna see it again, that I can tell you. And the patience, the bravery. Some were very, very badly wounded, and they were badly wounded because they refused to leave. They wanted to help others because they saw people going down all over, and it’s an incredible thing to see.”

Asked what his message was to the people of Las Vegas, Trump said, “I think the only message I can say is that we’re with you 100 percent.”

“In fact, I invited a lot of them over to the White House,” Trump said. “I said, ‘If you’re ever in Washington, come on over to the Oval Office,’ and they’re all saying, ‘We wanna do it, how do we do it?’ And believe me, I’ll be there for them. But the message that I have is we have a great country and we are there for you, and they’re there for us.”

The president also responded to questions about his embattled Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, who refuted reports earlier Wednesday that he threatened to resign over the summer and called the president a “moron.” The topic of gun control, however, was off limits.

The White House was adamant Monday that the gun control debate should be absent from the first 24 hours following the tragedy. But Trump on Wednesday seemed eager to further push back the conversation.

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Speaking to reporters Tuesday on the return flight from Puerto Rico, where the president met with local officials and hurricane victims, Trump said the gun debate “at some point, perhaps … will come.”

“But that’s not for now. That’s for — at a later time,” he said then. “We’ll talk about that on a later date.”

Lawmakers, however, are restarting a conversation about gun violence, with key Senate Republicans saying Wednesday that they’re open to considering legislation banning bump stocks, which were reportedly used in the Las Vegas massacre.

Trump had signaled ahead of his flight to Vegas that the trip would be a tough one. After visiting with patients and medical professionals, the president is also scheduled to meet with civilians and first responders.

“Well, it’s a very sad thing. We’re going to pay our respects and to see the police who have done, really, a fantastic job in a very short time,” the president told reporters during a brief exchange as he departed the White House. “It’s a very, very sad day for me personally.”

During that brief exchange, Trump also indicated that the investigation into the shooting was progressing and that more information would be revealed.

“Yeah, they are learning a lot more and that’ll be announced at the appropriate time,” he said.