In the midst of comments to reporters about the economy and the status of his on-again, off-again summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Trump described his Thursday trip to meet victims of Texas' Santa Fe High School shooting in incongruously upbeat manner.
"Other than that, the economy is good, stock market's up, lotta jobs, best unemployment we've had in many, many decades, actually," Trump said, "and we're going to Dallas, we're going to Houston, and we're gonna have a little fun today. Thank you very much." The "fun" Texas trip he references is the visit with the grieving families of those who were killed and injured in the school attack.
The president has previously been criticized for appearing inappropriately cheery on somber occasions. While meeting with Hurricane Maria victims in Puerto Rico, he told them to "have a good time" while tossing paper towel rolls. And when visiting Parkland, Florida, shooting victims in the hospital, he posed for photos with a broad grin and a big thumbs up.
Watch Trump's comments in context — not that the context really makes it better — below. Bonnie Kristian