Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Valor to six police officers who responded to the August mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio.
Trump also honored five civilians for their heroic actions in trying to stem the violence during a mass shooting a day earlier at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, presenting them each with a Certificate of Commendation.
“These incredible patriots responded to the worst violence and most barbaric hatred with the best of American courage, character and strength,” Trump said in remarks from the East Room Monday morning.
“Few people could have done and even would have done what they did,” Trump continued.
A quick reminder that Trump once wanted to award himself [1] the Medal of Honor.
Trump called the Dayton shooter “wicked” and a “maniac.” He also described the suspected shooter in El Paso, who is currently being held in custody, a “soulless and bigoted monster” who was motivated by racism. Reports emerged following the shooting that the suspect in the El Paso shooting had left behind a racist manifesto and espoused support for white nationalism.
“It was a racist attack motivated by pure, evil hatred,” Trump said.
But Trump struggled throughout his presentation of the awards, and obviously had a hard time reading from the teleprompter, as noted by Vox’s Aaron Rupar.
Take a look:
Trump struggles to read a teleprompter pic.twitter.com/gJEicSpAA4 [2]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 9, 2019 [3]
Twitter had some thoughts:
“Americans from all walks of lice.” He’s got them bedbugs on the brain.
— Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) September 9, 2019 [4]
He can't multitask. He has trouble reading while sniffing. Why is that?
— Author Dennis Cardiff (@DennisCardiff) September 9, 2019 [5]
Toward the end of Reagan’s Presidency, many suspected he was becoming mentally incompetent. Those suspicions were dismissed as crazy liberal imaginations. After he left office it emerged Reagan had Alzheimer’s. Reagan’s mental wanderings pale to Trump’s unhinged behavior.
— geoff lusk (@BKlein059) September 9, 2019 [6]
The man needs a neuropsych eval. https://t.co/tLuDv2AIRZ [7]
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) September 9, 2019 [8]
Maybe he needs glasses? Or he just hates reading? Or both? https://t.co/imWYFivHEj [9]
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) September 9, 2019 [10]
President Not Think Too Good is having a rough morning.
Must be a bad batch of Adderall. https://t.co/1bR1WdlWTx [11]
— Bill Morgan (@billymocolorado) September 9, 2019 [12]
It's not like he's a compulsive liar that needlessly perpetuated an erroneous weather report about a hurricane or faked bone spurs to dodge the draft. He's a stand up guy that just can't read and is bordering senile. https://t.co/yznX6DIeN9 [13]
— my2cents (@itkdf) September 9, 2019 [14]
Also his makeup, suntan applier should be fired immediately. https://t.co/HWZuW3YYPi [15]
— Annie Getcher Gun (@AnneMorter) September 9, 2019 [16]