[The Hill] White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday that rampant gun violence in Chicago is "driven more by morality than anything else." Sanders was pushing back on the notion that easy access to guns contributes to violent crime in the Windy City.
"I think that the problem there is pretty clear that it’s a crime problem. I think that crime is probably driven more by morality than anything else," she said at an off-camera briefing at the White House.
The comment came after the Trump administration announced the creation of a Chicago Gun Strike Force and that it is sending 20 more agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to the city to help stem gun violence there.
"This is a law enforcement issue and our focus is on adding additional support," Sanders said.
Chicago’s high crime rates have been a constant focus for Trump, who ran for the White House on a law-and-order platform.
The Justice Department said 4,300 Chicagoans were shot last year and more than 700 people were killed in shootings.