President Donald Trump sparked some online anger when he gave a thumbs-up while posing for a photo with law enforcement officers who’d responded to Wednesday’s deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
Many people called out Trump over the gesture, which he reportedly made during a visit to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office on Friday. Washington Post reporter Mark Berman noted how the president had also updated his personal Twitter account’s banner with the image:
The president's new Twitter banner is a photo of him smiling and giving a thumbs up while meeting tonight with police officers who responded to the massacre of 17 people, most of them students, at a high school in Parkland pic.twitter.com/3NoH95CqKQ
— Mark Berman (@markberman) February 17, 2018
Tweeters accused Trump of being “tone deaf” and lacking empathy and compassion.
A sampling of the responses below:
Smiling and thumbs up? Most of us have been distraught about what happened (and keeps happening).
— Mary Choice (@mary_choice) February 17, 2018
Trump just changed his Twitter banner to him grinning and giving a thumbs up while meeting with people who just responded to a deadly school shooting pic.twitter.com/hNQnIJhfbu
— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) February 17, 2018
Here’s Trump’s new header pic. He’s meeting with Florida police about the Parkland shooting and giving a thumbs up like he’s at the grand opening of a car lot. pic.twitter.com/IQhnsTPIfv
— shauna (@goldengateblond) February 17, 2018
What a vile excuse for a human being...he is totally empty inside
— hynese (@impeachreplace) February 17, 2018
There is no low too low for this man
— Lauren Sheftell (@lsheftell) February 17, 2018
You disgusting, emotionless, phony person @realDonaldTrump. To give a thumbs up like you just had a great dinner. No empathy. Disgusting. Go away.
— Sarah C (@sarahc0915) February 17, 2018
Trump’s new Twitter banner is a photo of him posing with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office - the first responders in the Parkland shooting. He is grinning and giving a thumbs up.
— Andrea Dubé (@AndDube) February 17, 2018
Seriously, wtf is wrong with him? pic.twitter.com/eCzXW49Aoh
What a sick sociopath
— haunted by tweets (@angelcolberg) February 17, 2018
— Ruth Wilson ✊🏽 (@ReSister2016) February 17, 2018
Trump keeps redefining the term "rock bottom".
— neen (@the_ns) February 17, 2018
That is disgusting on so many levels
— Mary Kelly (@ButterMLKe) February 17, 2018
This is even worse than the paper-towel-throwing. And that was a high bar
— Lila Fowler (@LilaFowler2017) February 17, 2018
I would like to be able to say I’m appalled but with this sociopath I’m not at all surprised
— Kimberly (@zenmamaof3) February 17, 2018
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