Trump Tells Dead Kid’s Parents To “Get Over It”

In a recent campaign event in Iowa, Donald Trump responded to a high school shooting in Perry by urging the audience to “get over it” and emphasized the need to move forward. Trump’s comments, coming about 36 hours after the incident, marked his first public address on the violence. This echoes a pattern observed in his past remarks, particularly during an April 2023 speech to the National Rifle Association, where he attributed school shootings to factors like Democrats, mental health issues, marijuana, and the transgender community, deflecting from a substantial discussion on gun violence.

Criticism for Trump’s recent comment poured in from the Democratic Super PAC American Bridge, with their communication director Brandon Weathersby condemning Trump’s lack of empathy and asserting that telling Iowans to “get over it” was beyond acceptable even for Trump. Despite facing multiple legal challenges, including 91 criminal charges, civil litigation, and a rape allegation deemed “substantially true” by a judge, Trump maintains strong support in polling for the Republican presidential nomination in the upcoming primaries. The Perry school shooting left one sixth grader dead and seven others injured, with the perpetrator identified as a 17-year-old student who later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

This incident, coupled with Trump’s response, raises questions about the political discourse surrounding gun violence and the adequacy of leadership responses to tragic events. While some may view Trump’s approach as pragmatic, others argue it lacks the necessary empathy and depth needed in addressing the complex issue of school shootings.