The brother of a couple who was fatally shot in El Paso, Texas, over the weekend has defended a photo the president and first lady took with the couple’s 2-month-old orphan during their visit to an El Paso hospital on Aug. 7.
The post garnered extensive attention as well as anger from people who called Trump’s facial expression and thumbs-up inappropriate, and declaring the event was used as a “photo-op.”
Anchondo, whose brother and sister-in-law, Andre and Jordan Anchondo, lost their lives as a result of the El Paso massacre, said he wanted to tell Trump about his family’s grievous pain, according to the outlet.
“He was just there as a human being, consoling us and giving his condolences,” he said.
He said he didn’t believe Trump was at the hospital to push any political agenda, adding that it was just “a private conversation between human beings.” Anchondo told the outlet he felt consoled after the conversation he had with the president but did not go into details as to what was discussed.
“I want to see if he’s genuine and see if my political views are right or wrong. And see if he feels maybe some kind of remorse for statements that he’s made. I just want to have a human-to-human talk with him and see how he feels,” Anchondo told the public radio broadcaster.
Following both events, photos and videos distributed by the White House show the president holding hands with victims, speaking with hospital executives, and posing for photos with uniformed law enforcement officers.
“They’ve been stopping between rooms to thank the hardworking medical staff. Very powerful moments for all!” Grisham wrote on Twitter.
Sister of El Paso Couple Posts an Emotional Message
On Aug. 6, the sister of the Anchondo couple, Vibora (Deborah) Anchondo, posted a heartfelt message on Facebook expressing frustration over how Democratic politicians in El Paso are politicizing the shooting and casting blame on President Donald Trump.“It’s such a shame that two of our local politicians (I refuse to say their names as they don’t deserve it) are saying that our President is not welcome on Wednesday,” Anchondo wrote without identifying the politicians.
“I cannot believe how these monsters are using the tragic event to push their political agenda,” she added.
She continued: “My brothers [sic] body was still laying at Walmart on Saturday night when they decided to make this into a political issue and push their agenda by blaming our President for this. Rather than focusing on the situation and the individual who destroyed the lives of many, these evil people selfishly turned this into a political war.”
“I’m equally as angered by those two as I am with the person who took my brother and his wife from me, typing this I think I feel more animosity towards those two evil politicians,” she added.
Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) said during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Aug. 5 that it was “probably unfair” to connect a rally Trump held in El Paso to the shooting. She also claimed that the president needs to “do a little self-reflection” on how he acts at the rallies he holds.
She then said that the president is not welcome in the city.
“It is shocking to me that [Trump] is so utterly self-aware,” Escobar told hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. “And this is why, from my perspective, he is not welcome here. He should not come here while we are in mourning.”
“I would encourage the president’s staff members to have him do a little self-reflection. I would encourage them to show him his own words and his actions at the rallies because we’re not going to get past this until there’s acknowledgment from the very top that we need to heal, that this whole country is hurting, that there has been bigotry and racism and hatred that has been stoked at all levels,” she added.
“And as the president, he has the most significant authority and responsibility to show this country, to lead this country into healing. And now is the time, and he needs to accept responsibility, everyone does, for what has gotten us to this point.”
