Meet the Press host Chuck Todd said Friday that in the wake of the horrific shootings Thursday evening in Dallas, Texas, President Obama needs to give a primetime address to console the grieving country.
"It’s tough because you’re just not here," Todd said. "It feels like we need, I’ll be honest, we need a primetime speech from him. It feels like we just need one of those moments."
Todd said that it was tough for the president to be out of the country and on the wrong side of the clock with the time difference.
Obama is currently traveling overseas for the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland. The president addressed the shootings in Dallas in the middle of the night, causing many Americans to miss his remarks.
Five officers were slain and at least six were wounded in a coordinated attack on police during a peaceful protest in Dallas. One of the suspects was killed by police while three others are in custody and not cooperating with the police.
Dallas Police Chief David Brown said that before the suspect had died he told the police negotiator he was upset over the recent police shootings of African American men and wanted to kill white people, especially white police officers.
MSNBC hosts Mike Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough said that they wondered how the Dallas killings would play out on the campaign trail. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have cancelled their respective campaign events for the day.
Prayers and condolences to all of the families who are so thoroughly devastated by the horrors we are all watching take place in our country
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2016
I mourn for the officers shot while doing their sacred duty to protect peaceful protesters, for their families & all who serve with them. -H
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 8, 2016