Donald Trump has faced a fierce backlash online for his answer when asked about the recent murder of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband.
Minnesota and the wider United States were left stunned after it was confirmed that Melissa Hortman, 55, and John Hoffman, 60, and their spouses were attacked by a shooter at their homes.
The attack took place over the weekend, and authorities already have a suspect in custody.
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The attack killed Minnesota Rep. Hortman and her husband Mark, while Senator Hoffman and his wife Yvette remain in hospital.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and former VP pick to presidential candidate Kamala Harris branded the shootings as being 'politically motivated' and condemned the attack.
He said: "Hortman was someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humor, and a sense of service.
"She was a formidable public servant. A fixture and a giant in Minnesota."
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However, when questioned by reporters about the incident and whether he would be speaking to Walz, Donald Trump had a less compassionate answer.
Referring to Walz, he said: “I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I'm not calling him.
"Why would I call him? I could call and say, 'Hi, how you doing?' Uh, the guy doesn't have a clue. He's a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?"
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The spokesperson for Walz, Teddy Tschann, hit back at Trump’s comments later that day.
They said: “Gov. Walz wishes that President Trump would be a President for all Americans, but this tragedy isn’t about Trump or Walz. It’s about the Hortman family, the Hoffman family, and the State of Minnesota, and the Governor remains focused on helping all three heal.”
People online had a similar reaction and condemned Trump for his comments.
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One furious user on Reddit wrote: “What a vile POS Trump is.”
Another frustrated person added: “A state senator is MURDERED and Trump won’t speak to the leaders of that state. The amount of damage he continues to do to our society is astounding. He’s the most un-American leader we’ve EVER had.”
A third commented: “Beyond despicable. I can't imagine any other president being so callous. Trump is the epitome of a narcissist, zero empathy. POS.”
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While another said: “If they were GOP that were shot/killed, Trump wouldn't care about them but he would use that to try and further divide us, but since they were just Dems, no big deal, he wasn't affected in any way. Don't forget, this is the 'what's in it for me' administration.”
With a fifth person writing: “I know we say this all the time, but imagine if Biden or Obama had said that about a sitting governor when they were President. The outcry would have been through the roof. Trump had developed his own norms so it’s not even questioned anymore.”
UNILAD has reached out to the White House for comment.
Topics: Donald Trump, News, US News, Minnesota, Politics
Gerrard Kaonga