In yet another surreal image from this presidency, Donald Trump is welcomed to Pittsburgh by protestors. He was asked not to come. The first funerals for the victims of the mass shootings was today. But Trump has a busy campaign schedule.
"It's an unbelievable image that we're looking at. These are peaceful protesters, walking along, grieving about the tragic death of 11 of their neighbors in a synagogue on Saturday, and protesting the presence of Donald Trump, the president, in their community today." pic.twitter.com/AuZbQxIq0o
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 30, 2018
Few officials in Washington, beyond his own family, or in Pittsburgh wanted to appear with Trump. It’s just too soon.
Declined to join Trump in Pittsburgh, according to WaPo:
* Ryan
* Pelosi
* McConnell
* Schumer
* Mayor Bill Peduto
* Sen. Pat Toomey
* Gov. Tom Wolf
* Allegheny Co. Exec. Rich Fitzgerald
* Conor Lamb, who reps the area, said he wasn't invited to any eventhttps://t.co/CXkW22a7gf— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 30, 2018
These are some of the headlines as President Trump prepares to fly to Pittsburgh today. pic.twitter.com/TAAlqrJNZm
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 30, 2018
All this should tell us something. It’s not about the victims, or their families. It’s about Trump.
From The Washington Post:
“Trump offered to visit with the family of Daniel Stein, a 71-year-old who had just become a grandfather when he was gunned down at Tree of Life. Stein’s nephew, Stephen Halle, said the family declined in part because of the comments Trump made in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, when he suggested the synagogue should have had an armed guard.
“Everybody feels that they were inappropriate,” Halle said Tuesday. “He was blaming the community.”