Anger as grinning Trump gives thumbs-up while Melania holds El Paso orphan

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Anger as grinning Trump gives thumbs-up while Melania holds El Paso orphan

• Backlash over picture posted on first lady’s Twitter account
• Two-month-old’s parents shot dead in attack that killed 22

Edward Helmore in New York
Fri 9 Aug 2019 14.45 BST Last modified on Fri 9 Aug 2019 16.09 BST

A backlash is building over a picture posted by Melania Trump on Twitter that showed her and Donald Trump smiling broadly while holding a baby who was orphaned in the mass shooting in El Paso.

On a visit to El Paso this week, the president flashed a thumbs-up when posing with the two-month-old, whose parents Andre and Jordan Anchondo were shot dead last Saturday. When the picture was posted on the first lady’s Twitter account on Thursday, it prompted outrage.

On a hospital visit in El Paso, Trump then reignited a dispute with 2020 Democratic contender and former local congressman Beto O’Rourke over crowd sizes, before getting into a Twitter row with the Dayton mayor, Nan Whaley.

Greg Pinelo
✔
@gregpinelo
This is a photo of Trump grinning while Melania holds a baby orphaned by the shooting. A baby who was taken from home and forced to serve as a prop at a photo-op for the very monster whose hate killed her/his parents.

I would need 280,000 characters to say how furious I am.

Link to tweet

The orphaned child, named Paul, had been brought back to the hospital – reportedly at the request of White House during the visit by the Trumps on Wednesday. The baby’s uncle, standing next to Donald Trump, is reportedly a Trump supporter, as was the deceased father.

The baby was injured, breaking his fingers, in the shooting, after his mother died trying to protect him and her body fell on him. His father had dived to try to shield her as bullets flew.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/09/trump-el-paso-melania-orphan-baby-thumbs-up

[Poiuyt]

1. He's a sociopath. And that's the best thing I can say about him.

[SCantiGOP]

28. FOX tried to compliment him on this

Said that Trump, unlike 'other' politicians, often doesn't think about the optics, he just follows how he feels.

Actually,
1- Optics is ALL he cares about, and
2- The FOX description of his behavior is a good approximation of what defines a sociopath.

[Funtatlaguy]

2. The Aunt? doesn't seem too thrilled

O

[PSPS]

4. The uncle is, though. He's a big trump fan and decided to bring the baby in

[dalton99a]

6. He's an idiot:

"I can see why people would believe that," Tito says. "And yes, maybe he said things in bad taste. But I think people are misconstruing President Trump's ideas."

Tito Anchondo says his family has always been Republican conservatives. "My brother was very supportive of Trump," he said, adding that he would like to sit down with the president and tell him about their pain.

"I want to see his reaction in person," he said. "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."

https://www.npr.org/2019/08/08/749099244/the-couple-killed-saving-their-baby-in-el-paso-had-just-found-a-future-together

[durablend]

9. Translated...

"I want him to SEE the pain of shooting people like me and why he should keep supporting shooting people like me"

[jcgoldie]

10. I'm sure that little heart to heart talk went swimmingly ...

[smirkymonkey]

40. What a sucker!

I fear for that poor child. Watch Trump deport them all next week.

[Corgigal]

46. Agreed.

He thinks his legal status, that white racist people could care less about makes him higher in status. He thinks that will protect him.

[Demovictory9]

44. he sure is

[olegramps]

33. These people are truely sick, sick, sick. Consumed by blind hatred and division.

A person's own relative kill by a racist whose hatred is spurred on by Trump in essence supports his proxy killer. This is a prime example of the result of fifty years of vicious propaganda that has been spewed 24/7 that has convinced millions that Democrats are the enemy and must be destroyed. It is totally beyond my comprehension. They are displaying the baby like it is some kind of trophy rather than victim of their own misguided allegiance to a man who in reality despises them as vermin. It is beyond being Orwellian.

[PandoraAwakened]

48. I think she's the grandmother with the grandfather out of picture to the right.

They own an auto body shop in El Paso and are typical of immigrant generations whose forefathers did the actual immigration struggle only for their progeny to say, "I got mine---now, quick, lock the gate!"

These Rethuglicans are the parents of the young Hispanic father who died. The other set of grandparents, the parents of the young Caucasian mother who was murdered, are real Trump-humper winners too---they've been spending a lot of time getting themselves featured on media outlets around the world emphasizing how they have already forgiven the shooter, blah, blah, blah (Jehovah's Witness apologists using religion to justify tRump and as a way to not face the fact that they themselves voted to have their own daughter killed).

So, for those who might bemoan the future of this poor baby, know that it was not going to be good anyway with family like this on both sides.

Too harsh? Well, so is using a baby as an admission ticket to gain entrance to a photo op with your favorite cult leader...just sayin'.

[Caliman73]

3. Talk about no empathy.

There is absolutely no need for this baby to be involved in anything at this point. The relatives are horrible for even agreeing to it. Look, I can understand taking pictures with first responders to celebrate their heroism. I can even understand photos with victims if they are respectful and genuinely showing care, and if the victim consents to the photo. This baby doesn't even know what is going on and will not really know fully until he is older and can digest the tragedy. There may be significant attachment injury losing his primary caregivers, but the narcissistic jerk in the White House, had to have his photo op. That kid is going to find out one day (maybe) that his parents were killed by a racist bastard inspired by the asshole standing to his right, to kill people like him and his parents.

[Red Pest]

22. I agree completely!

Isn't it standard human practice to keep children out of these sorts of publicity photos when the kids have been orphaned or injured? However, Trump is a failed human. He is such a failure as a human that he smiles and gives a "thumbs-up" while his gold-digger wife holds the child and smiles. Again, these people have failed as humans; they lack empathy and a sense of shame. They do not perceive right or wrong; they only acknowledge themselves. "If I am only for myself, what am I?" (Hillel)

[UTUSN]

5. K&R

[Arazi]

7. I hope someone contests their guardianship after this massive judgement fail

Allowing this baby to be used as a political prop is sick

[PandoraAwakened]

49. See my post above

Baby is stuck with shitty family on both sides.

[Hekate]

8. Sees camera, grins, does thumbs-up. Dementia: can't distinguish one occasion from another...

Inappropriate as hell.

I hear his aides thought the day was a debacle, and had tried to manage everything so it would not be. Then the monster got on AF-1 and started to tweet.

You know, this is what you have to do when grandpa goes off the rails. You just try to "manage" him as long as possible.

A normal family wouldn't... Well, Trumps aren't normal. Their motivations toward him and each other have nothing to do with compassion, dignity, and honor, and everything to do with their personal power and wealth.

The rest of us...

[MyOwnPeace]

11. Scary part is,

this is not a "family" thing ("managing" grandpa) - this is the man that is the leader of the free world - and has the big red button!

[Hekate]

20. My point exactly. He does not belong in public at complex occasions any more, much less ...

...much less the presidency. But as long as he can still sign what's put in front of him, there are people around him who will prop him up and pretend all is okay.

It's heinous.

[MyOwnPeace]

21. DAMN, you nailed that!

"as long as he can still sign what's put in front of him, there are people around him who will prop him up and pretend all is okay."

And THAT, my friends, is the Republican Party!

[KPN]

12. This picture needs to be front and center in the 2020 campaign to uproot and remove this

repulsive couple as WH occupants. They are not the First Family -- they are interlopers, a disgrace to that in institution.

[Traildogbob]

17. Trumps holding babies

Other than Donny holding Ivanka's ass, has there ever been a photo of either of those grifters holding their own infant children? Just one. With those phony smiles while holding any of them. Trump has no empathy of those children without a parent because his hated him, as his kids have no idea what a parent is?

[KPN]

24. Yeah, the groper holding his daughter -- somewhat inappropriately I might add. I have a daughter

and would never hold or touch her the way tRump did (and does) her -- actually even video during the convention.

[lame54]

13. Is there a later pic of Melania...

Placing the baby in a cage?

[lagomorph777]

26. and laughing.

[calimary]

14. ICK!!! Just ICK! ICK! ICK!

Using that innocent newly-orphaned baby for a smiley photo op with the schmuck whose heated racist jingoistic rhetoric led directly to his parents’ murder.

FUCKING HIDEOUS!!!!

[aggiesal]

15. The definition of a Pendejo ...

The baby’s uncle, standing next to Donald Trump, is reportedly a Trump supporter

Truly an idiot!

[dmr]

16. Quite frankly, I don't know why Melania is smiling.

Maybe her smile is because babies do bring out the smiles in us, but the more I think about it ...

If this were me, after just flying in from Dayton, and knowing everything that has transpired in both communities. Knowing the pain, suffering and unbelievable heartache so many people are experiencing ... I'd hold that beautiful baby with tears and sorrow.

And in all truthfulness, I would never pose in a photo-op. There are things you just quietly do, this is one of them.

[Rorey]

29. She gives an array of expressions for her photo ops

She thinks she's a supermodel, which she never was.

These people make my stomach turn.

[3catwoman3]

36. She was a soft porn "model."

Nothing more. Still nothing more.

[srobertss]

31. I held out weird hope for her

Until the jacket. And this photo was on her Twitter account. Was there anyone around her saying, “This is a little off kilter”? Did she overrule advice before posting? I don’t know why I care about this minutiae. These people are such a strange breed it leaves me baffled.

[malaise]

18. Depraved heartless monsters

[oasis]

19. The nerve. This is absolutely outrageous.

[LisaM]

23. They seriously look like a couple who just got their adopted baby.

Imagine if they had to take a Latinx baby home and care for it.

[lagomorph777]

25. The baby's daddy should have worn his MAGAt hat - might have saved his life.

Or maybe...I don't know, not support a politician who wants to kill you?

[renate]

27. the sad thing is, I bet you're right

Or the killer might have gone metastable, seeing a Latino man wearing the emblem of his beloved leader.

[lagomorph777]

30. That's the first use I've seen of "metastable" in that way.

As an engineer, the word has a very specific technical meaning; I can see how it'd extend to a robot or Trumpbot.

[Vinca]

32. Sicker than using black people and soldiers as props.

[cwydro]

34. Sickening.

Yuck.

[lunatica]

35. If the baby's caretakers are such Trump fans that they would

gladly return the baby for this disgusting photo op I truly don’t get them on many levels. He hates them already because they’re Latinos with brown skin. He and his psycho wife grinning with a thumbs up would do the same if both the man and the woman were in dog cages begging to be allowed to clean themselves. Yet they seem to be quite willing to use the baby as a prop to show they support Trump.

That baby is in trouble. I truly feel very sorry for it. His fate seems to be pretty clear.

[BamaRefugee]

37. I wonder if trump-humper Dad gave baby Paul the middle name "MANAFORT"?

[Wednesdays]

38. As I said on another thread: WTF IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE

WHO THINK THIS IS NORMAL AND OKAY!?

[perdita9]

39. Are these fit guardians?

Allowing the baby to be posed in a picture with the man who riled up the killer who cost 2 parents their lives seems indicative of a failure in judgement.

[smirkymonkey]

41. This is a new low, even for him.

This has to be one of the most grotesque things I have ever seen him and his floozy of a wife do yet. I actually feel nauseated looking at this photo.

[Botany]

42. Words fail me

Just how sick is he and Melania too? Thumbs up?

[DinahMoeHum]

43. Fuck. He might as well have KIDNAPPED that baby. . .

. . .for his own selfish purposes.

[cwydro]

50. But he didn't. Apparently the uncle is a big dump supporter.

Sickening they would allow the child to be used in this way.

[The Genealogist]

45. This is exactly the kind of thing I expect to see out of him

This is nothing more than a photo op for him. The baby is just a prop for another cheap bone to throw to his deplorables. He couldnt care less about little Paul or his murdered parents. Some of the deplorables at first will be disgusted, but then the Trump propaganda network with swing into action and do damage control as usual. Sick, twisted, vile. Donald Trump.

[Ilsa]

47. I suspect Melania passed off the baby before the camera flash faded. nt