Stoneman Douglas student shooting survivor Sam Zeif was asked if he felt like he was heard at the White House. He answered, “I know I was heard because I saw it on Trump’s little card.”
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Stoneman Douglas student shooting survivor Sam Zeif was asked if he felt like he was heard at the White House. He answered, “I know I was heard because I saw it on Trump’s little card.†https://t.co/jHtRqgyAk5 #parkland pic.twitter.com/WC2HsQCu2X
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 22, 2018
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Zeif said on MSNBC’s Velshi and Ruhle, “Well, I know I was heard because I saw it on Trump’s little card, I hear you, but I don’t think I was felt by him. Honestly, I’m confident, seeing the impact that my group and I and the other people at the White House have made since yesterday, gives me a lot of confidence in us. A lot more than I had the day before.”
Zeif was in tears as he talked about his brother’s death at the hands of a mass shooter, and Trump responded by sitting stone-faced and rooted in his chair. The President had all of his responses written out for him on a cheat sheet notecard which included expressions of empathy like “I hear you.” Zeif’s perception was correct. Trump showed no sign of feeling anything for these people who have unjustly suffered so much.
The White House’s show for the cameras backfired because it put on display a man who is incapable of being in touch with the feelings of the American people. The Stoneman Douglas kids and families aren’t giving up, and unlike Trump, they have an entire nation behind him.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
