Donald Trump Gives Thumbs Up In ‘Tone Deaf’ Photo With School Shooting First Responders Says ‘Huffington Post’
Donald Trump is taking some criticism for a picture he took with first responders to this week’s school shooting massacre in Florida — one in which Trump smiles and gives a thumbs up as if it were a campaign stop with his fans.
The president has gotten plenty of flack for his response to this week’s shooting, which left 17 people dead after a former student allegedly opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle. Many of the victims and their families have demanded stricter gun control in the wake of the massacre and criticized politicians who have worked to prevent gun control — Trump included — and hundreds have protested outside the National Rifle Association headquarters.
Donald Trump was also criticized for a tweet that appeared to blame students who did not turn in the suspected shooter when he displayed worrying warning signs, though reports had already indicated that many people, from teachers to fellow students to the suspects’ own parents, indeed did alert authorities about the warning signs.
Trump is in hot water again this weekend after he welcomed some of the police and medical office who were first on the scene of the deadly school shooting. Donald Trump then took a picture with the group, but instead of showing reverence for the situation, Trump appeared to treat it like a visit with some of his fans, smiling and giving a thumbs-up sign even while he and the police officers stood in front of pictures from the massacre.
As The Huffington Post noted, the picture drew an immediate backlash online, with many calling it “tone deaf” and noting that Trump lacks the proper respect for an event that left many school children dead.
Our entire Nation, w/one heavy heart, continues to pray for the victims & their families in Parkland, FL. To teachers, law enforcement, first responders & medical professionals who responded so bravely in the face of danger: We THANK YOU for your courage! https://t.co/3yJsrebZMG pic.twitter.com/ti791dENTy
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2018
Donald Trump even made the picture the banner image on his Twitter page. This drew even more criticism from those who believe Trump may be capitalizing on the tragic incident to make himself look better during a time when many are criticizing his every move.
This is not the first time that Donald Trump has been accused of being insensitive in the wake of a tragedy. As the Los Angeles Times noted, after a group of U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush in Niger last year, Trump spoke to the widow and mother of one of the men and told them that the slain man “knew what he signed up for.”
