VP Mike Pence: 'The Lord is Close to the Brokenhearted – That is Our Prayer for El Paso and Dayton' 

On Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence called the mass shootings in Texas and Ohio over the weekend "acts of pure evil" and said he and his wife Karen "join every American praying for the injured and their families in their hour of need."

Speaking before the members of the Alliance for Defending Freedom in Arlington, Virginia, Pence said "The Bible says, 'The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.' And that will be our prayer for the people of Dayton and El Paso."

The vice president also commended law enforcement officials in both states for their "quick action and courageous service."  

"They earned the admiration and gratitude of the American people," he said.

Pence also noted President Trump's address to the nation on Monday in which he said "hate has no place in America" and the sinister ideologies of "racism, bigotry, and white supremacy…must be defeated." 

The vice president also mentioned Trump's upcoming trip to El Paso on Wednesday and how he said: "Now is the time to set destructive partisanship aside…and find the courage to answer hatred with unity, devotion, and love."  

Pence also added, "Now is the time to overcome evil with good."

He also reminded the audience of that in times of trial the American people turn to faith and prayer.

"The Bible tells us that if His people, who are called by His name, will humble themselves and pray, that He'll hear from heaven, and He'll heal our land," Pence said. "And in this dark hour, for the people of El Paso and Dayton, we do well to pray – to pray for healing, to pray for the families of those that were lost and injured, and to pray for these communities and for our nation as a whole."

The vice president also said that faith is the greatest source of community in the modern world.

"Our nation was built on strong voluntary associations and depends on them more today than ever before," he said.  "From the American founding, voluntary associations – churches, synagogues, places of worship and religious education – have been at the center of American communities and they are the wellspring of American strength."

Pence also took the time in his remarks to note that we're living in a time where we've seen people drive religion from the public square, and "it's even become fashionable for many in the media and popular culture to mock religious belief."

"The freedom of religion was enshrined in the Bill of Rights as our first freedom because it was at the center of the American founding and also because it's the wellspring of order in a free society," the vice president said. 

In closing, Pence again called for prayers for the people of El Paso and Dayton.

"And as we pray, let's resolve to act to make our communities safer," he continued. "And let's resolve that we will do our part to ensure that our heritage of family and faith and freedom is renewed and preserved for this generation and the next."