Trump Uses Murder Of San Francisco Woman By Previously Deported Man To Further Presidential Campaign
In what may be among the most disgusting acts of the 2016 campaign yet, Donald Trump is using the murder of a woman to further his presidential campaign.
On Wednesday night Kathryn Steinle, a 32-year old woman visiting family in San Francisco was shot on the Pier, allegedly by an undocumented immigrant who had been deported, according to reports, four or five times previously.
On Friday evening, GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, under fire since for racist and anti-immigrant remarks made repeatedly since announcing his presidential candidacy weeks ago, released a statement capitalizing on the young woman’s murder.
“This senseless and totally preventable act of violence committed by an illegal immigrant is yet another example of why we must secure our border immediately,” Trump said in a statement Friday, first reported by David Rothstein of FOX 25 News in Boston.
“This is an absolutely disgraceful situation and I am the only one that can fix it. Nobody else has the guts to even talk about it. That won’t happen if I become President.”
“The American people deserve a wall to protect our job, economy and our safety. I am the only candidate who would build it. I will Make America Great Again!,” Trump’s statement concluded.
Trump then took to Twitter to advance his attacks against immigrants and the border:
Our Southern border is unsecure. I am the only one that can fix it, nobody else has the guts to even talk about it. http://t.co/ujz3jENIYo
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2015
Where are the other candidates now that this tragic murder has taken place b/c of our unsafe border http://t.co/amaV7tqgAR We need a wall!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2015
There are no reports showing Trump personally reached out to the victim’s family before using her murder for political gain.
The use of tragedies to further his campaign is a regular tactic for Trump.
Immediately after news broke in May of the Amtrak crash that killed eight people and injured over 200 others, Trump was fast to use that event to further his campaign also, sending tweets that included, “The only one to fix the infrastructure of our country is me – roads, airports, bridges. I know how to build, pols only know how to talk!,” and “I am the BEST builder, just look at what I’ve built. Hillary can’t build. Republican candidates can’t build. They don’t have a clue!”
Meanwhile, on Twitter, many were quick to denounce Trump’s grandstanding and use of the San Francisco murder for political gain:
@realDonaldTrump Do you get this outraged when children are killed each day by gun “accidents” where are you on #gunsense
— Ruth Scollan (@scollan_ruth) July 4, 2015
@realDonaldTrump instead of apologizing for offending a whole race you are looking far instances that prove your case.
— Sir Stinks-a-lot !! (@roofusdamas) July 3, 2015
@realDonaldTrump Was it an immigrant that killed 9 people in Charleston? Who killed children at Sandy Hook?
— Haas (@BuckeyeVoter) July 4, 2015
@realDonaldTrump using a tragedy to promote your own warped racist politics, was the tactics of The Nazi Party
— Frank Butcher’s Son (@Fletch_Butcher) July 4, 2015
@realDonaldTrump what about gun Control than? Every day in America people get randomly shot and killed
— Team Gin forever (@Palina1) July 4, 2015
@realDonaldTrump How many plp did Dylann Roof slain??? Mexicans aren’t the ones burning/shooting churches or a theater or schools.
— Eric R. (@AztecKing798) July 4, 2015
@realDonaldTrump THE OTHER CANDIDATES AREN’T LOWERING THEMSELVES TO YOUR VILE CYNICAL GRANDSTANDING SEWER cc @60Minutes @abc7newsBayArea
— carl martineau (@galootus) July 4, 2015
@realDonaldTrump where have you been? Charleston? Aurora? Sandy hook? Oh wait, those were done by white people so they don’t count. Racist.
— luis acevedo (@luisace82) July 4, 2015
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Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC licenseÂ
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