President Donald Trump marked the one year anniversary of the mass shooting at the LGBTQ nightclub Pulse in Orlando by tweeting out, “We will NEVER FORGET the victims who lost their lives one year ago today in the horrific #PulseNightClub shooting.”
We will NEVER FORGET the victims who lost their lives one year ago today in the horrific #PulseNightClub shooting. #OrlandoUnitedDay pic.twitter.com/OFFUVAFBJM
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2017
Trump, who congratulated himself for “calling it” when it first came to light that the shooter was Muslim, has yet to visit the site of the shooting. Hillary Clinton not only paid her respects at Pulse but also met with friends and family members of victims during the campaign.
Trump was lauded in some circles for mentioning the LGBTQ community in his Republican National Convention speech, but it was only in the context of politicizing the shooting in his favor.
“As your president, I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence, and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology,” he said.
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Once elected, he went about building one of the most anti-LGBTQ Cabinets in modern history.
His proposed budget would cut HIV/AIDS funding, he failed to make a Pride proclamation, a tradition started by Bill Clinton and revived by Barack Obama, his administration backed away from protecting transgender student rights, and the LGBTQ community has been left off federal surveys.
Yet here we have this tweet. A promise to never forget.
What could be better?
Action to protect the lives of LGBTQ individuals, as well as those in the Latin community, and other vulnerable Americans, for one.
Action against gun violence would be another sign of actual concern.
We won’t hold our collective breath.
And as you might expect, Trump’s critics had a lot to say in response to his tweet that many found to ring hollow:
We will also never forget how you made the shooting about you one year ago today. https://t.co/TYAhNUVn4h
— Adam Mordecai (@advodude) June 12, 2017
You forgot them all of pride month. You refuse to celebrate the living and you use the death of our community to further your bigoted agenda
— Dana Goldberg (@DGComedy) June 12, 2017
Nor will we forget how you used the situation for an opportunity for an “I told you so”.
— David Oliver Willis (@DavidOliverW) June 12, 2017
If you want to honor the victims, block all “laws” and bills discriminating against their community. Protect them from bullies at home too
— Stacie McCarthy (@StacieTacopool) June 12, 2017
No mention of the LGBTQ community at all. Smh.
— † M¡CH∆ΞL MøRRΞL † (@HeLLReL) June 12, 2017