Trump reportedly acted like 'a toddler' while trying to comfort Santa Fe shooting victims' families

President Trump.
(Image credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump's effort to comfort mourning families seems to have hit the wrong note.

Families affected by the recent shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, said that Trump displayed immaturity while visiting on Thursday, The Associated Press reports.

Trump decided to "have a little fun" and spend an hour with grieving families and survivors of the May 18 shooting that killed 10 at Santa Fe High School, but not everyone felt comforted, exactly. The president described the school shooter as "wacky" multiple times, said Rhonda Hart, whose daughter was killed in the shooting.

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Hart said that her suggestion of increased access to mental health care fell on deaf ears, as Trump preferred to repeatedly pivot the conversation toward arming teachers and school staff. The grieving mother says she suggested bringing veterans onto campus, and Trump asked, "And arm them?" Hart said no, but Trump apparently wouldn't let the subject drop. "It was like talking to a toddler," she said.

Other parents felt that Trump was slightly more sensitive. One parent said that the president showed "sincerity, compassion, and concern" about school safety. Read more at The Associated Press.

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.