Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
2016 presidential candidates on the Charleston church shooting
 Date: November 8, 2016 |
Winner: Donald Trump (R) Hillary Clinton (D) • Jill Stein (G) • Gary Johnson (L) • Vice presidential candidates |
Important dates • Nominating process • Ballotpedia's 2016 Battleground Poll • Polls • Debates • Presidential election by state • Ratings and scorecards |
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016 Have you subscribed yet?
Join the hundreds of thousands of readers trusting Ballotpedia to keep them up to date with the latest political news. Sign up for the Daily Brew.
|
This page was current as of the 2016 election.
On June 17, 2015, nine people were murdered in the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, during a mass shooting. South Carolina State Senator Clementa Pinckney, who served as the church's pastor, was one of the deceased.[1]
The perpetrator, Dylann Roof, reportedly spent an hour in the church participating in a Bible study session before opening fire on the attendees. According to one of the survivors of the shooting, Roof said, "You rape our women, and you’re taking over our country, and you have to go.”[1][2] Following Roof's arrest on June 18, 2015, Roof stated he had wanted "to start a race war." All nine victims were black.[3]
A website registered in Roof's name was discovered on June 20, 2015, featuring white supremacist rhetoric against black, Latino, and Jewish people and images of Roof holding or wearing the Confederate and Rhodesian flags. The manifesto posted on the website stated, "I have no choice. I am not in the position to, alone, go into the ghetto and fight. I chose Charleston because it is most historic city in my state, and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to Whites in the country. We have no skinheads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the internet. Well someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me."[4][5]
On December 15, 2016, Roof was found guilty in federal court on 33 counts, including murder, damage to religious property, obstruction of religious belief, weapons charges, and hate crimes.[6]
Officials from South Carolina react
Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley (R) held a press conference on June 18, 2015, to condemn the attack. Haley said, "We woke up today, and the heart and soul of South Carolina was broken. And so we have some grieving to do, and we've got some pain we have to go through. Parents are having to explain to their kids how they can go to church and feel safe and that's not something we ever thought we'd deal with."[7]
Lindsey Graham (R), the senior U.S. senator from South Carolina, also released a statement. Graham wrote, "There are bad people in this world who are motivated by hate. Every decent person has been victimized by the hateful, callous disregard for human life shown by the individual who perpetrated these horrible acts."
When asked what could be done in the future to prevent events like this, Graham responded, "I bet there were some indicators early on that this guy was not quite there. Just being able to track people — put them into systems where they can be deterred or stopped. But it's very complicated in a nation of 300 million people where you have freedom of movement and freedom of thought. 300 million of us and unfortunately every now and then, something like this happens. And we'll see."[8]
On June 19, 2015, NAACP President Cornell Brooks called for the removal of the Confederate flag from South Carolina's state capitol grounds.[9] That same day, Haley declined to comment on whether the Confederate flag should be removed, noting that "policy conversations" would come later. "My job is to heal the people of this state," she said.[10]
In response to the same question, Graham said, "At the end of the day, if it’s time for people in South Carolina to revisit that decision it would be fine by me. But this is part of who we are. The flag represents to some people a Civil War. That was the symbol of one side. To others it’s a racist symbol. It’s been used by people in a racist way. The problems we have in South Carolina and throughout the world are not because of a symbol."[11]
Following a weekend of renewed dialogue about the use of the Confederate flag in the media and local communities, Haley held a press conference on June 22, 2015, to state her position on the issue. After noting the flag is both a source of pride and symbol of oppression for some South Carolinians, Haley said, "As a state we can survive, as we have done, while still being home to both of those viewpoints. We do not need to declare a winner and a loser here. We respect freedom of expression, and that for those who wish to show their respect for the flag on their private property, no one will stand in your way. But the statehouse is different and the events of this past week call upon us to look at this in a different way. Fifteen years ago, after much contentious debate, South Carolina came together in a bipartisan way to move the flag from atop the Capitol dome. Today, we are here in a moment of unity in our state without ill will, to say it’s time to move the flag from the Capitol grounds."[12]
Graham joined Haley during her speech and released his own statement after, saying, "I hope that, by removing the flag, we can take another step towards healing and recognition — and a sign that South Carolina is moving forward."[13]
Other states' officials react
Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn (R) released a statement on June 22, 2015, supporting the removal of the Confederate battle cross from Mississippi's state flag. Gunn explained, "We must always remember our past, but that does not mean we must let it define us. As a Christian, I believe our state's flag has become a point of offense that needs to be removed. We need to begin having conversations about changing Mississippi's flag."[14] Mississippi previously held a referendum to change the state flag in 2001, but the measure failed with more than 64 percent of voters choosing the original design featuring the Confederate insignia.[15]
In Virginia, Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) announced on June 23, 2015, that he was working with Attorney General Mark Herring and Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne to reverse a court decision allowing specialty license plates to feature the Confederate flag.[16]
According to a June 23, 2015, article in The Baltimore Sun, Mayor of Baltimore Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D) stated her support for prohibiting the use of the Confederate flag on specialty license plates in Maryland. Rawlings-Blake's colleague, Baltimore County Executive Keven Kamentez, recommended the state's Robert E. Lee Park be renamed the Lake Roland Park.[17]
Presidential candidates react
Nearly all of the 2016 presidential candidates expressed their condolences to the Charleston community following the mass shooting. Some suggested that the crime had political implications for how the United States should handle not only the use of the Confederate flag, but also gun rights, race relations, mental health treatment, and states' rights. The divide on these issues was largely partisan. As NPR reported on June 19, 2015, "Democrats see race and gun control as issues at the center of it. Republicans, on the other hand, largely point to mental illness and label what happened a tragic but random act."[18]
Democratic candidate
Hillary Clinton
- Speaking at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 23, 2015, Hillary Clinton called the shooting "an act of racist terrorism." She also stated the Confederate flag is "a symbol from our racist past that has no place in our present nor in our future."[19]
- On June 18, 2015, the day after the Charleston shooting, Clinton said, "How many innocent people in our country—from little children, church members, to movie theater attendees—how many people do we need to see cut down before we act? So as we mourn and as our hearts break a little more, and as we send this message of solidarity that we will not forsake those who have been victimized by gun violence, this time we have to find answers together."[20]
Republican candidate
Donald Trump
- See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016
- On June 23, 2015, Donald Trump said of the Confederate flag, "I think they should put it in the museum and let it go. Respect whatever it is you have to respect, because it was a point in time, and put it in a museum. But I would take it down. Yes."[21]
Withdrawn candidates
Democratic
Lincoln Chafee
- On June 18, 2015, Lincoln Chafee posted on his Facebook, "My heart goes out to the Charleston community and to the victims of these horrifying murders. It is comforting to know that Charleston is fortunate to have an expert and able mayor in Joe Riley. Hate crime legislation I supported while I was in the Senate will give the community federal funding to assist in this difficult time."[22]
Martin O'Malley
- Martin O'Malley released an email to supporters on June 19, 2015, stating, "I'm pissed that after an unthinkable tragedy like the one in South Carolina yesterday, instead of jumping to act, we sit back and wait for the appropriate moment to say what we're all thinking: that this is not the America we want to be living in." After calling the string of mass shootings in America "a national crisis," O'Malley said he wanted to institute a ban against "assault weapons," make background checks more stringent and limit straw-buying. O'Malley added, "I proudly hold an F rating from the NRA, and when I worked to pass gun control in Maryland, the NRA threatened me with legal action, but I never backed down."[23]
Bernie Sanders
- On June 22, 2015, Bernie Sanders tweeted, "The confederate flag is a relic of our nation’s stained racial history. It should come down."[24]
- On June 18, 2015, a day after the shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, Sanders released the following statement on his website: "The Charleston church killings are a tragic reminder of the ugly stain of racism that still taints our nation. This senseless violence fills me with outrage, disgust and a deep, deep sadness. The hateful killing of nine people praying inside a church is a horrific reminder that, while we have made significant progress in advancing civil rights in this country, we are far from eradicating racism. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and their congregation."[25]
Republican
Jeb Bush
- See also: Jeb Bush presidential campaign, 2016
- On June 20, 2015, two days before Governor Nikki Haley announced South Carolina would remove the Confederate flag from the capitol grounds, Jeb Bush released a written statement that read, "My position on how to address the Confederate flag is clear. In Florida, we acted, moving the flag from the state grounds to a museum where it belonged. This is obviously a very sensitive time in South Carolina and our prayers are with the families, the AME church community and the entire state. Following a period of mourning, there will rightly be a discussion among leaders in the state about how South Carolina should move forward and I'm confident they will do the right thing."[26]
- On June 19, 2015, when asked by The Huffington Post if he believed the Charleston shooting was racially motivated, Bush responded, "I don't know. Looks like to me it was, but we'll find out all the information. It's clear it was an act of raw hatred, for sure. Nine people lost their lives, and they were African-American. You can judge what it is."[27]
Ted Cruz
- See also: Ted Cruz presidential campaign, 2016
- In an interview with The Washington Post on June 20, 2015, regarding the Confederate flag, Ted Cruz said, "I understand the passions that this debate evokes on both sides. Both those who see a history of racial oppression and a history of slavery, which is the original sin of our nation, and we fought a bloody civil war to expunge that sin. But I also understand those who want to remember the sacrifices of their ancestors and the traditions of their states, not the racial oppression, but the historical traditions, and I think often this issue is used as a wedge to try to divide people."[28]
- On June 19, 2015, Cruz accused Democrats of politicizing the Charleston church shooting. Cruz said, "It’s sad to see the Democrats take a horrific crime and try to use it as an excuse not to go after people with serious mental illness or people who are repeat felons or criminals but rather try to use it as an excuse to take away the Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens. Those are altogether different issues and we need to focus on protecting our Bill of Rights and also on keeping everyone safe."[29]
Carly Fiorina
- While attending the Faith and Freedom Coalition's conference on June 20, 2015, Carly Fiorina suggested President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were trying to create "division" in the country using this event. Fiorina said, "I'm so disappointed that we're blaming anything other than the evil in this young man's heart. This is a time for the nation to try and heal." Fiorina also commented on the Confederate flag, saying, "I think it's clearly a symbol that is very offensive to many, but my personal opinion is not what's relevant here. What's relevant here is what the people of South Carolina choose to do next."[30]
Lindsey Graham
- On June 22, 2015, Lindsey Graham joined Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley to support the removal of the Confederate flag from the capitol grounds. Graham released a statement after, saying, " "I hope that, by removing the flag, we can take another step towards healing and recognition – and a sign that South Carolina is moving forward."[31]
- On June 19, 2015, Graham said, "At the end of the day, if it’s time for people in South Carolina to revisit that decision it would be fine by me. But this is part of who we are. The flag represents to some people a Civil War. That was the symbol of one side. To others it’s a racist symbol. It’s been used by people in a racist way. The problems we have in South Carolina and throughout the world are not because of a symbol."[32]
- When asked on June 18, 2015, what could be done in the future to prevent events like this, Graham responded, "I bet there were some indicators early on that this guy was not quite there. Just being able to track people — put them into systems where they can be deterred or stopped. But it's very complicated in a nation of 300 million people where you have freedom of movement and freedom of thought. 300 million of us and unfortunately every now and then, something like this happens. And we'll see."[33]
Mike Huckabee
- In an interview on June 21, 2015, Mike Huckabee said the Confederate flag should be a non-issue for the presidential election. Huckabee added, "If the state government of South Carolina wishes to address an issue in their state, that's fine. If you can point me to an article and section in the Constitution in which a United States president ought to weigh in on what states use as symbols, then please refresh my memory on that."[34]
- On June 19, 2015, Huckabee appeared on FOX News, where he said, "All the proposals this president has put forward on gun control would not have stopped this shooting. The one thing that would have at least ameliorated the horrible situation in Charleston would have been if somebody in that prayer meeting had a conceal carry or [if] there had been an off duty policeman somebody with the legal authority to carry a firearm and could have stopped the shooter."[35]
George Pataki
- In a June 23, 2015, interview on Newsmax, George Pataki stated that although "a white racist...committed this horrible, horrible act of criminal terrorism," the country needed to address other sources of division. Pataki said, "We have seen the country take a step backward in race relations over the course of the past seven years and it started when you have people like Eric Holder embracing Al Sharpton, who has been a divisive force forever."[36]
- Pataki also suggested that the non-consensual confinement of mentally ill individuals who posed a "clear" threat to others or themselves would be a more productive solution to gun violence than more stringent gun control.[36]
Rand Paul
- See also: Rand Paul presidential campaign, 2016
- In a June 23, 2015, interview with a Boston radio station, Rand Paul agreed with Governor Nikki Haley's call to remove the Confederate flag from the capitol grounds. Paul explained, "I think the flag is inescapably a symbol of human bondage and slavery and particularly when people use it, you know, obviously for murder and to justify hatred so vicious that you would kill somebody. I think that symbolism needs to end, and I think South Carolina is doing the right thing."[37]
- On June 18, 2015, Paul spoke at the Faith & Freedom Coalition Policy Conference, where he suggested the Charleston church shooting was the result of a "sickness" in the United States. Paul questioned, "What kind of person goes into a church and shoots nine people? There’s a sickness in our country. There’s something terribly wrong, but it isn’t going to be fixed by your government. It's people straying away, it's people not understanding where salvation comes from."[38]
Rick Perry
- See also: Rick Perry presidential campaign, 2016
- In a statement released June 22, 2015, Rick Perry said, "The decision to remove the Confederate flag needs to be made by the people of South Carolina, and Gov. Haley’s leadership today honors the people of Charleston, and the families of the victims of last week’s horrific hate crime. Removing the flag is an act of healing and unity, that allows us to find a shared purpose based on the values that unify us."[39]
- In a June 19, 2015, interview with Newsmax, Perry accused the Obama administration of trying to use the Charleston church shooting to push a gun control agenda. Perry said, "This is the MO of this administration. Anytime there is an accident like this — the president's clear, he doesn't like for Americans to have guns and so he uses every opportunity, this being another one, to basically go parrot that message." Later that day, a communications adviser noted Perry had meant to say "incident" rather than "accident."[40]
Marco Rubio
- See also: Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016
- Speaking with reporters on June 20, 2015, Marco Rubio said he supported the removal of the Confederate flag in his own state, Florida, but noted, "What I do think is important to remember is that the people of South Carolina have dealt with this issue before. They have found a bipartisan consensus over a decade ago on moving that flag to a new location. And I have confidence in their ability to deal with that issue again. So I think it’s important to let the people of South Carolina move forward on it."[41]
- According to Politico, Rubio was the only Republican candidate who did not comment on the Charleston church shooting while speaking at the Faith & Freedom Coalition Policy Conference in June 2015.[42]
Rick Santorum
- On June 21, 2015, Rick Santorum said, "I don’t think there’s any question when someone comes into a church for the reasons of racism and hate that they’re trying to terrorize people. I don’t think there’s any question that this is an act of terrorism.” When asked about his position on the Confederate flag, Santorum said, “I don’t think the federal government or federal candidates should be making decisions on everything and — and opining on everything. This is a decision that needs to be made here in South Carolina.”[43]
Scott Walker
- See also: Scott Walker presidential campaign, 2016
- On June 20, 2015, Scott Walker called the Charleston church shooting a "racist" and "evil" act. After noting the removal of the Confederate flag should be debated "at the state level," Walker said, "I just think before I or anyone else weighs in on anything to do with policy, whether it's this or any other policy decisions, we should honor the dead and the families by allowing them to bury their loved ones. And then you could perfectly ask me that question at some point in the next week or two when that's done."[44]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The New York Times, "Church Massacre Suspect Held as Charleston Grieves," June 18, 2015
- ↑ Slate, "The Deadly History of 'They’re Raping Our Women'," June 18, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Charleston church shooting: Who is Dylann Roof," June 23, 2015
- ↑ NPR, "Photos Of Dylann Roof, Racist Manifesto Surface On Website," June 20, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Dylann Roof’s racist manifesto: ‘I have no choice’," June 20, 2015
- ↑ [ http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/15/505723552/jury-finds-dylann-roof-guilty-in-s-c-church-shooting NPR, "Jury Finds Dylann Roof Guilty In S.C. Church Shooting," December 15, 2016]
- ↑ The Daily Caller, "Gov. Nikki Haley Chokes Up: ‘The Heart And Soul Of South Carolina Was Broken’," June 18, 2015
- ↑ CBS News, "Jeb Bush, Lindsey Graham react to Charleston church shooting," June 18, 2015
- ↑ Reuters, "NAACP president takes aim at Confederate flag after church killings," June 19, 2015
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "Nikki Haley, Mark Sanford Weigh In On Confederate Flag Debate," June 19, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart, "Graham on Confederate flag in SC: 'Part of who we are'," June 19, 2015
- ↑ The New York Times, "Transcript: Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina on Removing the Confederate Flag," June 22, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Lindsey Graham shifts on Confederate flag," June 22, 2015
- ↑ The Clarion-Ledger, "Gunn: Confederate part of MS flag 'needs to be removed'," June 23, 2015
- ↑ The Economist, "Mississippi's flag: Not as simple as it looks," April 19, 2001
- ↑ Washington Post, "Virginia’s McAuliffe plans to phase out Confederate flag license plate," June 23, 2015
- ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "City, county leaders demand change to address Confederate symbols in Maryland," June 23, 2015
- ↑ NPR, "Predictably, Democrats, Republicans Don't Agree On Charleston Causes, Solutions," June 19, 2015
- ↑ MSNBC, "Hillary Clinton: Charleston massacre an act of ‘racist terrorism’," June 23, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Hillary Clinton calls on nation to consider ‘hard truths’ about church massacre," June 18, 2015
- ↑ CBS News, "Donald Trump tees off on the Confederate flag," June 23, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Lincoln Chafee 2016," accessed June 24, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Examiner, "O'Malley: 'I'm pissed,' calls for gun control, NRA silencing," June 19, 2015
- ↑ Twitter, "Bernie Sanders," June 22, 2015
- ↑ Bernie Sanders, United States Senator for Vermont, "Statement on Charleston Church Shootings," June 18, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Jeb Bush on S.C. Confederate flag: 'I'm confident they will do the right thing'," June 22, 2015
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "Jeb Bush: 'I Don't Know What Was On The Mind' Of Charleston Shooter," June 19, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Ted Cruz: It’s up to South Carolina to decide on Confederate flag," June 20, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Ted Cruz: Democrats using Charleston as ‘excuse’ to take away gun rights," June 20, 2015
- ↑ National Journal, "Fiorina Calls Confederate Flag 'Offensive to Many'," June 20, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Lindsey Graham shifts on Confederate flag," June 22, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart, "Graham on Confederate flag in SC: 'Part of who we are'," June 19, 2015
- ↑ CBS News, "Jeb Bush, Lindsey Graham react to Charleston church shooting," June 18, 2015
- ↑ CBS News, "Mike Huckabee: Confederate flag "not an issue" for 2016," June 21, 2015
- ↑ FOX News, "Huckabee: If Somebody in That Prayer Meeting Had a Conceal Carry…," June 19, 2015
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Newsmax, "George Pataki: Eric Holder a Factor for America's Racial Unrest," June 23, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Times, "Rand Paul agrees with calls from S.C. leaders to remove Confederate flag," June 23, 2015
- ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Rand Paul On Charleston: 'It's People Not Understanding Where Salvation Comes From'," June 18, 2015
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Perry: Removing Confederate Flag 'Act of Healing'," June 22, 2015
- ↑ Business Insider, "Rick Perry's campaign says he misspoke about Charleston shooting," June 19, 2015
- ↑ The Miami Herald, "Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio weigh in on debate over flying Confederate flag in South Carolina," June 20, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Republican candidates struggle to talk about race, guns," June 19, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Rick Santorum sidesteps Confederate flag issue," June 21, 2015
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Scott Walker denounces Charleston slayings, sidesteps flag debate," June 20, 2015
