President Trump on Thursday canceled or delayed a pair of upcoming events in the wake of a shooting at a Florida high school on Wednesday that left 17 children and adults dead.
The White House announced Thursday a planned infrastructure event in Orlando, Fla., would no longer take place on Friday as scheduled. Trump had been slated to leave Washington on Friday morning to promote the infrastructure proposal his administration rolled out earlier this week.
Trump’s re-election campaign announced later Thursday it would reschedule a rally in Ambridge, Pa., for “a more appropriate time.” The rally was scheduled for next Wednesday.
“This decision was reached out of respect and sympathy for the victims and survivors of the high school shooting attack in Parkland, Florida, and their family members,” Trump’s campaign said in a statement about the delay. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this horrific tragedy.”
Trump said earlier Thursday that he plans to visit the Parkland community in the coming days to visit first responders and affected families, as well as to coordinate the federal government’s response with local officials.
The shooting Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has renewed calls for Congress to take up legislation limiting access to guns. Trump has sought to focus the conversation on mental illness, tweeting Thursday that friends and neighbors of the suspected shooter “knew he was a big problem” and should have reported him to law enforcement officials.
