On Monday afternoon at 6:10 PM ET, President Obama took to the podium to explain the current status of the White House’s efforts on the Boston bombings. “The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight, and Michelle and I send our deepest thoughts and prayers to the victims,” Obama said. He said that the government did not yet have the answers on the perpetrators. He did not label the bombings a terrorist attack or incident. He also added that “on days like this there are no Republicans or Democrats.”
President Obama said that Boston police, firefighters, and first responders had acted heroically today. “We salute all those who assisted in responding so quickly and professionally to this tragedy,” he said.
“We still do not know who did this and why,” Obama said, and urged Americans not to jump to conclusions. “Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.” President Obama mentioned Patriots Day, which he said celebrates the free nature of the United States. “I am supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together,” Obama continued.
President Obama said the federal government was “still in the investigation stage at this point.” He did not take any questions.
UPDATE: NBC News reports that the White House has announced that the Boston bombings will be treated as an “act of terror.”
Ben Shapiro is Editor-At-Large of Breitbart News and author of the New York Times bestseller “Bullies: How the Left’s Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences America” (Threshold Editions, January 8, 2013).