Culture

Paul Ryan Passionately Condemns The Congressional Baseball Field Shooting As ‘An Attack On All Of Us’

Not long after Donald Trump addressed the Congressional baseball field shooting, which left the gunman dead and at least four people — including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) — injured, Speaker Paul Ryan called the House floor to order. And instead of finding himself in the middle of yet another controversy related to the White House or the recent Montana election, the Wisconsin representative offered a passionate condemnation of the attack and praise for Republicans and Democrats’ unity in the tragedy’s wake.

“We are all horrified by this dreadful attack on our friends and on our colleagues, and those who serve and protect this capitol. We are all praying for those who were attacked and their families,” he told the chamber. “We are all giving our thoughts to those currently being treated for their injuries at this moment, and we are united. We are united in our shock, we are united in our anguish — an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.”

Unsurprisingly, Ryan’s comments here drew a standing ovation from the House members on both sides of the aisle. Yet it was something the Speaker said later that drew further attention to his emphasis on unity, a subject he may have adapted from the president’s prepared statement earlier. Ryan was especially moved, he told his colleagues, by a photo tweeted out by CNN of the Democrats’ Congressional baseball team at their own practice, in which they were praying for their GOP rivals.


“There is one image in particular that this House should keep, and that is a photo I saw this morning of our Democratic colleagues gathered in prayer this morning after hearing the news,” said Ryan. “You know, every day we come here to test and challenge each other. We feel so deeply about the things that we fight for and the things that we believe in, at times our emotions can clearly get the best of us. We’re all imperfect, but we do not shed our humanity when we enter this chamber.”

These comments, as well as those made by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and other politicians, are bound to accrue plenty of positive and negative responses online and on cable news. Even so, it’s still comforting to hear them on occasion.

(Via CNN and ABC News)