President Trump arrived at a Florida hospital Friday evening to visit with wounded students and to thank medical workers after a deadly shooting at a high school took the lives of 17 people.
Earlier in the day, he tweeted about his plans to visit with those impacted by the massacre.
“I will be leaving for Florida today to meet with some of the bravest people on earth — but people whose lives have been totally shattered,” Trump tweeted Friday morning. “Am also working with Congress on many fronts.”
Trump was joined by his wife, first lady Melania Trump, in the visit to Broward Health North Hospital.
The president shook the hand of Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, a trauma surgeon, and said, “The job they’ve done is incredible and I want to congratulate you,” according to a press pool report.
JUST IN: President Trump comments after speaking with Florida school shooting victims and doctors who cared for them: “We saw numerous people and incredible recovery.” https://t.co/GTJCEZExlq pic.twitter.com/bLMLpLrhzL— ABC News (@ABC) February 17, 2018
He also said that it was “sad” that something like the shooting could happen and expressed how impressed he was at the “record-setting” pace by which first responders reacted. “In one case 20 minutes,” he said, adding that it was “an incredible thing.”
The press pool report also said Trump did not respond when asked whether U.S. gun laws need to be changed before he walked into another room.
The Trumps made the trip to the hospital after flying from Washington, D.C., to Palm Beach International Airport. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., joined them on the flight aboard Air Force One.
Afterwards, the Trumps met with Florida law enforcement officials at the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, along with Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Moments ago, @POTUS and @FLOTUS met with Florida law enforcement officials at the @browardsheriff's Office. pic.twitter.com/jbMU6aIkUA— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 17, 2018
The shooter in the recent massacre, Nikolas Cruz, has confessed to authorities that he was behind the attack Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida.
The FBI has come under intense scrutiny Friday after the agency revealed that it received a tip about Cruz last month that he had been behaving erratically and threatening to kill people, but “protocols were not followed.”
Scott called on FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign after the shooting.
