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Politicians left and right call for change after Dallas shooting

Political reaction to Dallas shooting
Political reaction to Dallas shooting 03:25

Presidential politics paused on Friday after the Dallas police ambush. Both presumptive presidential nominees cancelled previously scheduled morning campaign events.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Dallas shooting 10:08

Overnight, Donald Trump tweeted "prayers and condolences," and later put out a statement calling last night's shooting "an attack on our country ... a coordinated, premeditated assault on the men and women who keep us safe."

Hillary Clinton spoke with reporters late Friday afternoon from Philadelphia.

"We should walk in the shoes of police officers who do dangerous jobs, we should walk in the shoes of African Americans who worry about every traffic stop or every routine arrest -- or just going out into their neighborhoods. We've got to start seeing each other with respect and dignity," she told CBS News' Scott Pelley.

In Washington, flags were lowered to half staff at both the White House and the Capitol. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was visibly shaken on the House floor.

Hillary Clinton reacts to Dallas shootings 06:57

"We are all stunned by the events last night in Dallas. Every member of this body, every Republican and every Democrat wants to see less gun violence."

Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, whose district the shooting occurred in, paid tribute to the fallen police officers.

"I commend them for their bravery during this incident," he said.

And Representative John Lewis, a revered symbol of the Civil Rights Movement, summed it all up calling for peace.

"We all live in the same house, and it doesn't matter whether we are black or white, Latino, Asian American or Native American. We are one people, we are one family, we're one house. We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters if not we will perish as fools."

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