Trump’s Visit To Dayton And El Paso Expected To Earn Widespread Criticism

President Donald Trump will visit Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas on Wednesday following mass shootings in both cities. However, Trump’s response to the shootings in El Paso have created hostility towards any presidential visit there, while Dayton’s mayor has also criticized him.

Under normal circumstances, a president visiting the site of a mass shooting would be an expected – even praiseworthy – response. However, President Trump’s divisive rhetoric, particularly on issues of race, will make these trips more difficult than usual.

The suspected El Paso shooter appears to have been motivated in large part by racial animus towards Hispanics and echoed some of Trump’s rhetoric in a written manifesto. Trump failed to address this in any way in the wake of the attacks. He also failed to recognize that Hispanics were the main targets of the El Paso shooting.

While Trump’s political language has been directly linked to the El Paso shooting, the Mayor of Dayton, Nan Whaley, has separately criticized him for his stance on guns and gun control. Trump had very little to say about access to firearms after the Dayton attack.

President Trump’s visits to the two cities will be closely watched and he may be met by protests or general hostility. Trump is not known for his restraint and any off the cuff comments he makes could easily exacerbate an already tense and tragic situation.