More than 10 hours after the death of civil rights icon John Lewis was reported, Donald Trump and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham headed to the golf course without even uttering a single word of condolence.
“John Lewis is dead,” Andrew Feinberg noted on Twitter. “President Donald Trump has not said a word about it, and now he is headed to his golf club with Lindsey Graham.”
NOW: John Lewis is dead. President @realDonaldTrump has not said a word about it, and now he is headed to his golf club with @LindseyGrahamSC.
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) July 18, 2020
According to the pool report, “We saw the President for a few frames before he got into the SUV, wearing a red hat and white polo shirt.”
“We believe Lindsay Graham, wearing an almost identical outfit, got in on the other side,” it continued.
John Lewis, a representative for Georgia’s 5th congressional district who was a frequent critic of Donald Trump, died at 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Soon after Lewis’ passing, former President Barack Obama released a touching tribute to the late congressman.
Joe Biden also offered his condolences, noting that he and Jill Biden spoke to Lewis a few days ago for the final time.
“We are made in the image of God, and then there is John Lewis. He was truly one-of-a-kind, a moral compass who always knew where to point us and which direction to march,” Biden said on Twitter. “To John’s family, friends, staff, and constituents, Jill and I send you our love and prayers.”
We are made in the image of God, and then there is John Lewis. He was truly one-of-a-kind, a moral compass who always knew where to point us and which direction to march. To John’s family, friends, staff, and constituents, Jill and I send you our love and prayers.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 18, 2020
Trump is incapable of putting politics and ego aside
Had we known nothing about Donald Trump before today, perhaps it would be surprising that he – as president of the United States – couldn’t even pay his respects to a civil rights legend before suiting up for another round of golf.
But for the past three and a half years, the American people have seen how this president conducts himself, even in moments when it should be a no-brainer to set politics and ego aside.
In 2018, when former Arizona senator and war hero John McCain passed away, Trump refused to release a prepared White House statement praising McCain’s service to the country.
Like John Lewis, McCain was a critic of the president, especially toward the end of his life. Trump, the smallest man to ever hold the world’s biggest office, was incapable of seeing past that.
Donald Trump will eventually release some type of statement on the passing of John Lewis, but he’s already made it clear just how little he cares.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.