‘Don’t Speak On It Trump, Just Don’t’: Hours Post Death of Civil Rights Hero, Prez Offers Condolences

In a while after 2 p.m., as Trump was once coming back from his golfing time out — and greater than 14 hours after Lewis’ loss of life was once introduced — he introduced his and the primary woman’s condolences in a two-sentence Twitter message.

“Saddened to listen to the scoop of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I ship our prayers to he and his circle of relatives,” Trump wrote.

By means of that time all 4 residing former U.S. presidents, Vice President Mike Pence and ratings of lawmakers had publicly remarked at the passing of the lawmaker whose brutal beating at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, 50 years previous marked a turning level within the civil rights motion.

Trump had battled publicly with Lewis, 80, the youngest and closing residing member of the Giant Six civil rights activists who arranged the 1963 March on Washington.

Lewis, D-Ga., memorably tangled with Trump days ahead of the president’s inauguration in 2017. The congressman stated he didn’t see Trump as a “reliable president,” prompting Trump to blast Lewis as “all communicate” and denigrate his majority Black district as “crime infested” and “falling aside.”

For the second one time throughout his lengthy provider in Congress, Lewis in 2017 skipped the swearing-in rite. He additionally skipped George W. Bush’s inauguration in 2001 after his contentious victory over Al Gore.

In December of that 12 months, Lewis refused to talk on the opening of Mississippi civil rights and historical past museums as a result of Trump could be there. He stated the president’s “hurtful insurance policies are an insult to the folks portrayed on this civil rights museum.”

Then, as this 12 months’s election struggle heated up within the spring, Lewis threw his weight at the back of Biden and prompt younger Black citizens to assist in making certain the previous vp wins in November.

He did not point out Trump through title throughout his April endorsement, however made transparent that he noticed Biden’s venture as a possibility to “redeem the soul of The us.”

Rep. Karen Bass, the Democratic chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, wrote on Twitter that she was hoping that Trump would keep silent about Lewis’ loss of life.

At that time, White Area press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had famous that Lewis “was once an icon of the civil rights motion,” and Pence had issued a observation praising Lewis for his position in American historical past and noting that as colleagues within the Area that “even if we differed, John was once at all times unfailingly sort.”

Bass wrote: “@realDonaldTrump whilst the country mourns the passing of a countrywide hero, please say not anything. Please don’t remark at the lifetime of Congressman Lewis. Your press secretary launched a observation, go away it at that.”

The White Area didn’t reply to a request for remark about Bass’ observation.

The White Area additionally issued a proclamation from the president ordering the reducing of U.S. flags at federal structures for Lewis’ loss of life. By means of regulation the flag is decreased the day after a sitting member of Congress passes.

In many ways, Trump’s perfunctory providing of condolences confirmed a measure of restraint when put next with some previous episodes involving political combatants.

The president was once no longer invited to wait Sen. John McCain’s funeral in 2018. Trump had stated previous that he did not assume McCain was once a hero since the senator was once captured in Vietnam. McCain was once tortured and held prisoner for greater than 5 years.

Trump gave the impression not able to put out of your mind one in every of McCain’s Senate votes particularly, the thumbs-down that sank the Republican effort in 2017 to repeal the Obama well being care regulation. Trump was once livid, and it confirmed even after McCain’s loss of life. The management decreased the American flag over the White Area to half-staff, however then raised it once more two days later. The flags have been decreased once more after a public outcry.

And Trump’s anti-McCain Twitter tirades endured lengthy after his loss of life from mind most cancers. The president additionally complained that he was once by no means correctly thanked for McCain’s funeral at Washington’s Nationwide Cathedral.

Trump drew grievance overdue closing 12 months for suggesting the overdue Rep. John Dingell, a Democrat, could be “taking a look up” from hell throughout a rally in Dingell’s house state of Michigan.

The dig at Dingell, whose spouse, Rep. Debbie Dingell, succeeded him within the Area, got here throughout Trump’s impeachment. Days previous, Trump expressed anger that the congresswoman had supported his impeachment.

“The closing time I spoke to Debbie Dingell was once her name thanking me for granting best memorial and funeral provider honors for her then simply departed husband, very long time Congressman John Dingell,” Trump tweeted. “Now I watch her ripping me as a part of the Democrats Impeachment Hoax. Truly pathetic!”