Tweeters were incredulous after President Donald Trump showed up on Wednesday to a “listening session” with Florida school shooting survivors carrying a note that essentially reminded him to show empathy.

“I hear you,” was number five on the cheat sheet that Trump clutched in his hands:

(Photo: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters)

It’s unclear whether Trump or one of his White House aides wrote the list. But the image did not go unnoticed on Twitter, where folks were quick to criticize the president for needing the reminder at all:

The President had to be reminded to show empathy in a listening session on gun violence. Let that sink in. https://t.co/lwTDxl0lZB — Kyle Sutton (@kbsutt) February 21, 2018

TRUMP: I smell-uhh I mean *checks notes* I hear you. pic.twitter.com/Qhu5srAemw — Shayne Topp (@supershayne) February 21, 2018

Trump had to read off a card to say, “I hear you.”



This is a sick joke. https://t.co/Nnk91e5rzE — Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) February 21, 2018

It's really sad that Trump needed someone to write down "I hear you" for him to remember to try and show empathy for those impacted by gun violence. pic.twitter.com/AsH3XGIM91 — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) February 21, 2018

Literally needs to be spoon-fed words that project empathy. A profoundly defective human being. https://t.co/FSmMNksTJ7 — Jason Lichtenstein (@jlicht1968) February 21, 2018

The fact that President Trump needed a note card to remind him to say “I hear you” to survivors of school shootings, proves to me that he’s a psychopath with no capacity for empathy.



This isn’t a joke. We have a psychopath running our country!#ParklandStudentsSpeak — Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) February 22, 2018

This list is like a cheat sheet you’d give to an alien who was trying to pass off as a human with empathy https://t.co/bjVfVs7UXu — Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) February 21, 2018

“I HEAR YOU” had to be scripted. I have nothing left. https://t.co/smnqXCUtSL — alyssa mastromonaco (@AlyssaMastro44) February 21, 2018

Raise your hand if you're surprised that Trump needs to reminded to say "I hear you" in a listening session. https://t.co/O12HICfsUl — Amy Bingham (@BlondMsKang) February 21, 2018

Trump can't even remember why he's in the room and needs a note telling him to pretend he's listening. Literally has a cheat sheet saying I hear you. Show me a dumber human and it's likely a tree. https://t.co/RcphAJOtE7 — Todd Poirier (@todd_poirier) February 21, 2018

What a living dead-man! Trump's "cues" to say to the high-school kids reading him and his nativist tribalistic Republican white-nationalist party the riot-act. "I hear you". The man is like a zombie. A White Walker pic.twitter.com/NDAoDG1lY5 — Jerry Saltz (@jerrysaltz) February 21, 2018

The president sat in his chair.

A group of survivors was there.

He looked at a note

An aide of his wrote

And thus was reminded to care. — Limericking (@Limericking) February 22, 2018

Barack Obama sang “amazing grace” at a funeral in Charleston and Donald Trump needs a fucking cheat card to show empathy. https://t.co/J9fnsa3Zes — Emmy Bengtson (@EmmyA2) February 21, 2018

To help him simulate human reactions, Trump's minders gave him a cheat sheet that prompted him to say things like "I hear you" during the WH listening session on the #Parkland shootings. [@AP Photo by Carolyn Kaster] pic.twitter.com/cEyVNDlvjU — Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) February 21, 2018

Maybe if we had "Be a better president" on his hand it would work? https://t.co/5YTZvXLC0M — (((Charles Young))) (@CharlieYoungEsq) February 22, 2018

"Don't forget to show human emotions like a real human" https://t.co/4a6leDmQda — Will Federman (@wfederman) February 21, 2018

There is no page to turn.

There IS no Presidential moment for trump to rise to.



You can't teach empathy.

You can't teach decency.

You either have it, or you don't.



Having to write "I Hear You" as an emotion to share is sad.



It's also A LIE.#ListeningSession pic.twitter.com/tycIm4zVGM — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) February 22, 2018

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