After the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Trump decided to exploit a photo of one of the survivors in the hospital for the most Trump-like reason he could: to beg for money.
That's right, Trump used the photo of someone who just underwent a crazed gunman shooting up her school and killing 17 people so that he could try to rake in more funding for his campaign through a donation request.
The donation email featured Trump posing beside the hospital bed of 17-year-old Madeleine Wilford, two days after the devastating attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 dead.
“The nation has turned its attention to the senseless school shooting in Parkland, Florida,” the email starts.
“Trump is taking steps toward banning gun bump stocks and strengthening background checks for gun purchasers,” it says. “The President has made his intent very clear: ‘making our schools and our children safer will be our top priority.'”
At the end of the link was a link to donate to Trump's campaign.
The email is not only poorly timed and in bad taste, it's outright offensive that a man who comes from a party wholly owned by the NRA will dare try to use the tragedy to his benefit. Trump is trying to turn their losses into his gains.
It was bad to the point that another student blasted him on Twitter for his hypocrisy and insensitivity.
“Don’t you fucking dare use a photo of one of my best friends for your benefit,” Morgan Williams, a 16-year-old junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, wrote. “If you truly cared, maybe you would have stayed at the hospital longer than 20 minutes.”
Don’t you fucking dare use a photo of one of my best friends for your benefit. If you truly cared, maybe you would have stayed at the hospital longer than 20 minutes. https://t.co/BOI6VbiJIk
— Morgan Williams (@morganw_44) February 25, 2018
At the time of this article, the tweet has over 17 thousand retweets and over 55 thousand likes.
Others on Twitter were outraged as well:
A hospital room is not a public place. I wonder if he had permission releases from each of the identifiable people?
— Janey The Small (@JaneyTheSmall) February 25, 2018
Deplorable. There is no bottom. https://t.co/tdse21v0xM
— Social✽Fly (@socflyny) February 25, 2018
Wth? I'm appalled that they would use these kids to exploit them after all they have been through. No shame and no heart
— DORIS ANNETTE BIVINGS (@CELB2000) February 25, 2018
Anyone remember President Obama doing this after Sandy Hook? I don’t.
— Frannie M. (@fvmcgillicuddy) February 26, 2018
Why not use this picture of Trump later that night at a disco party at Mar-a-lago? pic.twitter.com/tHdb841mfN
— Giselle M. (@Gisellemaranch1) February 25, 2018
H/T: CNN