The Trump campaign emailed a photo of a Parkland survivor to ask for donations — for themselves
President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign sent out an email asking for donations that used a photo of a Parkland shooting survivor in her hospital bed. Sounds super inappropriate, right? Apparently the campaign team didn’t think so.
The email, which was sent to supporters on February 24th, contains a photo of 17-year-old Madeleine Wilford surrounded by her family, the president, and First Lady Melania Trump during their hospital visit two weeks ago.
Trump visited Wilford on February 16th, two days after a gunman killed 17 innocent people during an attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Trump also used the very same image on his official Instagram page.
"The nation has turned its attention to the senseless school shooting in Parkland, Florida," the email reads, according to CNN. "President Trump is taking steps toward banning gun bump stocks and strengthening background checks for gun purchasers. The President has made his intent very clear: 'making our schools and our children safer will be our top priority.'"
At the bottom of the email, the campaign asks supporters to donate to Trump’s re-election campaign or buy Trump merchandise.
Unbelievable: the Trump campaign just sent out an email using the Parkland shooting, including photos of survivors, to raise money for his reelection campaign. pic.twitter.com/2WInImvsIA
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) February 24, 2018
It’s unclear if the victim or her family gave Trump and his team permission to use the photo in his campaign, but even so, using a photo of a wounded teenage victim of gun violence — when Trump himself made it easier for mentally unstable people to get guns as one of his first acts as president — is inarguably tone deaf.
We unfortunately can’t say we’re surprised, but we at least hope that the family gave their consent to the campaign to use their tragedy for profit.
