Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto didn't want President Trump to visit just three days after 11 people were murdered at the city's Tree of Life synogogue. He showed up anyway — and gave Peduto less than a day to prepare.
Plans for Trump to visit Pittsburgh on Tuesday were revealed in a White House press briefing on Monday. That's also when Peduto first heard about the president's visit, a spokesman told CNN, meaning the mayor wouldn't have time to visit with Trump while he was in town. A slew of national, state, and local officials also reportedly turned down invitations to travel or meet with Trump in Pennsylvania.
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The White House also asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to join Trump, but everyone declined, the Post reports. Local and state officials, including Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, are not expected to meet with the president. The Pittsburgh area's Democratic congressmen and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) reportedly weren't invited to do so.
Welcome or not, Trump arrived in Pittsburgh on Tuesday with first lady Melania Trump, along with daughter Ivanka Trump and his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who are both Jewish.
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