President Trump met privately Saturday with families of victims of a horrific nightclub shooting in California, calling it a “tough day.”
During the trip to view damage from wildfires, Mr. Trump also met with some relatives of victims of the Nov. 7 shooting in Thousand Oaks, and with first responders from that tragedy.
“What can you say other than it’s so sad to see,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “We just hugged them and we kissed them. And it was very warm. These are great people. Great families, torn apart. It was tragic and yet in one way it was a very beautiful moment.”
He said the families included “the parents of a very young supporter, a young supporter wearing a Trump shirt, and just a terrific young man.”
A Marine Corps veteran, Ian Long, killed 12 people in the bar, including a law-enforcement officer, and wounded at least 10 others before taking his own life.
The president’s meetings with families took place at an air hanger at a naval air station at Point Mugu, California, not far from a wildfire that has burned thousands of acres around Malibu. Mr. Trump also toured fire-devastated communities in northern California, where at least 71 have been killed and more than 1,000 residents are still missing.
“This has been a tough day when you look at all of the death from one place to the next,” the president said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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