President Trump traveled to Texas Thursday to meet with two dozen people affected by the latest mass shooting at an American school, and at least one of them was not pleased with the interaction.
Rhonda Hart, whose 14-year-old daughter was one of ten people killed at Santa Fe High School on May 18, was among the two dozen people to meet with Trump. Hart told the Associated Press that Trump did not impress her during their interaction, and repeatedly referred to 17-year-old suspected shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis as “wacky.”
Hart, an Army veteran, said she also suggested employing veterans as sentinels in schools. She said Trump responded, “And arm them?” She replied, “No,” but said Trump “kept mentioning” arming classroom teachers. “It was like talking to a toddler,” Hart said.
In the days after her daughter’s murder, Hart began speaking out about gun control, telling People, “All I want to say is that the wrong child left this world. They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I want to be an advocate.”
Hart’s awkward interaction with Trump came after another awkward statement he made to reporters before beginning his trip to Texas. “We are going to Dallas, we are going to Houston. We are going to have a little fun today. Thank you very much,” he said. Critics were quick to pounce on his calling the trip “fun.”
Not all of the people who met with Trump on Thursday were unimpressed, though. Pamela Stanich, whose 17-year-old son was killed at the school, wrote on Facebook that Trump showed “sincerity, compassion, and concern on making our schools safer across the nation,” during the meeting. She added: “Changes are coming for the good. Thank you Mr. Trump.”
