Shortly after midnight on the east coast, President Obama issued a statement from his vacation in Hawaii, condemning the murders of the two police officers in New York City.
“Two brave men won’t be going home to their loved ones tonight, and for that, there is no justification,” Obama said, reminding Americans that police officers “risk their own safety for ours every single day.”
The president was golfing in Hawaii when the White House first released a statement reassuring Americans that Obama had been briefed and that administration officials were monitoring the situation.
After Obama returned from his golf trip he issued his personal statement:
“Tonight, I ask people to reject violence and words that harm, and turn to words that heal – prayer, patient dialogue, and sympathy for the friends and family of the fallen,” he said.