La David Johnson during his burial service at the Memorial Gardens East cemetery, Oct. Myeshia Johnson kisses the casket of her husband U.S. When Trump spoke after the congressional baseball practice shooting, the Las Vegas shooting, and now the Parkland school shooting, he did so while standing up and facing the cameras directly in the Diplomatic Room of the White House. Khachigian did take issue with delivery of his words, however, saying the backdrop of where he delivered some of his remarks was not ideal.

'The words matter and I think to the extent that people did absorb them and listen to them, it probably had a healing effect for those who were looking for some consoling and some warmth,' Khachigian told ABC News. 15, 2018, in Washington, D.C.Īmong the best, in Kamarck's opinion, were President Bill Clinton, who 'could feel people's pain,' and President Ronald Reagan, who 'was fantastic at it, maybe the best we've ever seen.' She specifically cited his televised address after the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986.Īs for Ken Khachigian, who served as the chief speechwriter for Reagan and was on the speechwriting staffs for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Trump's remarks following several tragedies during his time in office have been 'spot on, excellent.' President Donald Trump speaks on the Florida school shooting in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Feb. And now more than ever the president’s needed role is 'comforter in chief,' but this seems like foreign territory for him,' he said.Įlaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, thinks Trump could take some tips from his predecessors. 'Long before what happened in Florida, or happened in Las Vegas, the country was in need of healing.

President Trump has never viewed his role in this way, and he seems to be someone exceedingly uncomfortable in exuding empathy,' according to ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd. As much as a commander in chief, we needed a pastor in chief. 'I said after the election that what the country needed as much as a national president, was a national pastor. — - A week after the deadly school shooting in Florida, President Donald Trump has visited with victims and first responders, tweeted accusations of possible negligence, initiated a policy change, and is set to meet for a listening session with students and others impacted by gun violence.īut should Trump embrace the role of 'consoler in chief'?

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