How Politicians Responded to the Charleston Church Shooting on Social Media

Published: 18 Jun, 2015

1 min read

On Wednesday night, a gunman opened fire at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine people total were killed. The man identified as the primary suspect in the shooting, Daryl Roof, was taken into custody by police in Shelby, N.C. on Thursday. Witnesses say Roof stood up in the church and said he was there "to shoot black people."

The tragedy in Charleston has stunned the nation and many politicians from the President of the United States to 2016 presidential candidates have expressed their sympathies and outrage on social media and other outlets. Here are some of those responses:

U.S. President Barack Obama

"Now is the time for mourning and healing, but let's be clear: At some point as a country, we have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries. It is in our power to do something about it… I say this knowing the politics in this town foreclose a lot of those opportunities." - President Obama, 6/18/15

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley

Michael, Rena, Nalin and I are praying for the victims and families touched by tonight's senseless tragedy at Emanuel...Posted by Nikki Haley on Wednesday, June 17, 2015

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (S.C.)

https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/611543463461580800

U.S. Senator Tim Scott (S.C.)

https://twitter.com/SenatorTimScott/status/611400674442612736

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders

https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/611538289774956544

Dr. Ben Carson

https://twitter.com/RealBenCarson/status/611536691673845760

Hillary Clinton

https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/611392413945434112

U.S. Senator Rand Paul

https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/611485444086169600

Martin O'Malley

https://twitter.com/GovernorOMalley/status/611523793933213698

Jeb Bush

https://twitter.com/JebBush/status/611390576622202880

Photo Source: AP

EXCLUSIVE: California Commissioner Says Lawmakers Gutted Their Funding BEFORE Prop 50

The fate of California’s independently drawn congressional districts will be decided on November 4, when voters weigh in on a legislative gerrymander and the suspension of congressional maps from the state's independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC) under Proposition 50....

08 Oct, 2025

8 min read

Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for Opening Florida’s Primaries to 3.4M Independent Voters

A new statewide poll finds near-unanimous agreement among both Democratic and independent voters that Florida’s primaries should be opened to the state’s 3.4 million “No Party Affiliation” (NPA) voters who are currently shut out of taxpayer-funded elections....

10 Oct, 2025

3 min read

California Prop 50: Partisan Power Play or Necessary Counterpunch?

November 4 marks a special election for what has become the most controversial ballot measure in California in recent memory: Proposition 50, which would circumvent congressional districts drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission for a legislative-drawn map....

01 Oct, 2025

9 min read