Washington (CNN) White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday crime in Chicago is "driven by morality more than anything else."

Sanders' remark came in response to a question about whether easy access to guns was responsible for the high murder rate in Chicago, which President Donald Trump tweeted about Friday morning.

"I think that the problem there is that it's a crime problem. I think crime is probably driven by morality more than anything else," Sanders said.

Trump had tweeted: "Crime and killings in Chicago have reached such epidemic proportions that I am sending in Federal help. 1714 shootings in Chicago this year."

Crime and killings in Chicago have reached such epidemic proportions that I am sending in Federal help. 1714 shootings in Chicago this year! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 30, 2017

The Chicago Police Department and Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Friday a new task force aimed at decreasing the spread of illegal guns throughout the Windy City.

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