President Trump is drawing widespread criticism online over a picture of him and the First Lady grinning and giving a thumbs up with an infant orphaned in the El Paso mass shooting, posted to the @FLOTUS Twitter account, The Guardian reported.
During his visit to the city, President Trump spent time at a hospital that treated many of those wounded in Saturday’s mass shooting.
Among the 22 lives claimed in the shooting were Andre and Jordan Anchondo, who gave their lives while shielding their two-month-old son, Paul. The infant suffered broken bones in the shooting when his mother’s body fell on him.
Paul was discharged from the hospital the day before the Trumps’ visit.
However, with all eight patients at the hospital who were wounded in the attack unable or unwilling to visit with the president, two White House aides went to the baby’s home to ask his grandfather to bring the baby back to the hospital for a visit.
Appearing alongside Paul is his uncle, who says he supports the president.
And he told NPR that Paul’s father did as well.
Nevertheless, the photo op with the recently orphaned infant drew widespread condemnation, with most criticizing the president for giving the thumbs up and for grinning, as well as for producing a polished campaign video after saying the visit was “not a photo op.”
The president flashed many smiles and thumbs ups during the hospital visit in El Paso.
CNN reported that hospital officials said the president showed “an absence of empathy” during the visit, and video emerged showing Trump discussing rally crowd sizes and mocking Democrat presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke.
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However, Paul’s grandfather said that the president was “kind and sympathetic,” and that “the family was very happy with Trump’s visit.”
h/t The Guardian
