Douglas High School students to Trump: “Have a damn heart”
Developments on Day 395 of the Trump Administration:
Trump Blames Florida Mass Killings on Russia Investigation
Student survivors of last Wednesday’s mass killings at a Florida high school have responded to Donald Trump after his weekend Twitter diatribe, in which he used the shootings in an attempt to sweep away the Russia inquiry.
Trump spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort, 45 minutes’ away from Parkland, where 17 students were slain at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Unable to play golf — supposedly as a mark of respect for the dead — he spent his time watching TV and tweeting, apart from a brief photo opportunity with medical staff who treated Parkland casualties.
Stung by Friday’s indictments of 13 Russians over interference in the 2016 election, Trump attacked the FBI, Hillary Clinton, Democrats, his National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, and Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff — while saying nothing about the Russians and President Vladimir Putin.
As he falsely proclaimed “Case Closed” for Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia investigation, Trump linked the inquiry and the Parkland shootings:
Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign – there is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018
Far from burying the investigation, Trump only highlighted that the indictments of the Russians are only another stage as Mueller closes in on the President and his inner circle, including son-in-law Jared Kushner, after a total of 15 indictments and two guilty pleas — with a third likely this week.
And he further galvanized the Douglas High School students and their supporters, who are already mobilizing for a campaign pursuing gun control.
17 of my classmates are gone. That’s 17 futures, 17 children, and 17 friends stolen. But you’re right, it always has to be about you. How silly of me to forget. #neveragain https://t.co/i6Hldlo0Aq
— Aly Sheehy (@Aly_Sheehy) February 18, 2018
17 innocent people were brutally murdered at my school, a place where they should have felt safe. Their lives were gone in an instant. You are the President of the United States and you have the audacity to put this on Russia as an excuse. I guess I should expect that from you. https://t.co/phOg97PJoD
— taylor // #NEVERAGAIN (@tayloryon_) February 18, 2018
Oh my god. 17 OF MY CLASSMATES AND FRIENDS ARE GONE AND YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO MAKE THIS ABOUT RUSSIA???!! HAVE A DAMN HEART. You can keep all of your fake and meaningless “thoughts and prayers”. https://t.co/al9DWBM2AW
— Morgan Williams (@morganw_44) February 18, 2018
David Hogg said in a TV interview on Sunday morning:
You’re the President. You’re supposed to bring this nation together, not divide us. How dare you? Children are dying, and their blood is on your hands because of that. Please take action. Stop going on vacation in Mar-a-Lago. Take action. Work with Congress. Your party controls both the House and Senate. Take action, get some bills passed, and for God’s sake, let’s save some lives.
Trump’s advisors tried to contain the PR damage by saying that Trump will convene a “listening session” on Wednesday with high school students and teachers, but several Parkland students said they will not attend.
“If Donald Trump wants to listen to us, he should have taken the first invitation [to meet students and staff at Douglas High School],” Alex Wind said. “We are not going to come to him. He is going to need to come to us.”
Emma Gonzalez added, “The fact that he has organized this just proves that he’s scared of us and that he doesn’t want to have to face us.”
The students say they are organizing nationwides marches in mid-March to step up the campaign for Congress to take necessary action over guns.
Gonzalez’s weekend address, joined by fellow students, “We Call BS”: