Flint, Michigan, slams Trump over 'photo op' visit

(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Donald Trump's campaign stop in Flint, Michigan, on Thursday has been slammed as a last-minute distraction by the city's mayor. "Flint is focused on fixing the problems caused by lead contamination of our drinking water, not photo ops," Democratic Mayor Karen Weaver said.

Weaver further criticized Trump and his campaign for not recognizing the city's crisis earlier; by contrast, Hillary Clinton "came to Flint when the water crisis hit," Weaver told TV viewers in July. Trump was not especially outspoken during the height of the Flint crisis, simply calling it a "shame" in January. "A thing like that shouldn't happen," he said at the time, "but again, I don't want to comment on that."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.