Catalina Saenz wipes tears from her face as she visits a makeshift memorial near the scene of the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas. Photo: John Locher/AP/Shutterstock

Acting as “consoler-in-chief” has never been President Trump’s strong suit, and his visits to Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas on Wednesday were off to a rocky start even before he left D.C. With Trump facing criticism for failing to do enough to combat gun violence, and allegations that his racist rhetoric emboldens white supremacists, many lawmakers and residents in Dayton and El Paso were not enthusiastic about his trip. Despite his call for “unity” and “love” in his Monday address on the shootings that claimed the lives of 31 people over the weekend, Trump did little to assauge their concerns on Wednesday. In between visits with shooting victims and hospital staff throughout the day, the president lobbed attacks at Democrats and other perceived enemies. Here’s a rundown of Trump’s visits to the two grieving cities.

Dayton Officials Were Skeptical Ahead of Trump’s Visit

Several officials in Ohio criticized Trump for his stance on guns, and Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown told Sirius XM’s The Joe Madison Show on Tuesday that he did not plan on meeting with the president in Dayton. “I don’t have any interest because of what he’s done on this – total unwillingness to address the issue of guns, his racist rhetoric,” he said, according to USA Today.

A day later, Brown changed his mind:

Sherrod Brown said he didn’t want to meet with Trump but decided to so he could confront him. He said he would tell Trump to urge McConnell to bring Senate back for gun vote, “stop using racist hate speech,” and to urge him to back Medicaid funding to deal with mental health — Manu Raju (@mkraju) August 7, 2019

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, also a Democrat, said she’d meet with Trump though she’s “disappointed” with him. She said she planned to tell him that the gun control proposals he described in his remarks on the shooting on Monday don’t go far enough. “His comments weren’t very helpful to the issue around guns,” she told reporters.

Trump’s Uncomfortable History With El Paso

Trump had tangled with El Paso prior to the shooting, claiming earlier this year that a border wall had transformed the city from “one of the most dangerous cities” to “one of the safest,” though the city was one of the safest in the country even before fencing went up. Officials have also complained that Trump still owes the city more than half a million dollars to cover security costs from a rally there in February.

El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, a Republican, previously criticized Trump for falsely claiming that the city was particularly dangerous, and on Monday he said, “I will continue to challenge any harmful and inaccurate statements made about El Paso. We will not allow anyone to portray El Paso in a manner that is not consistent with our history and values.”

Margo said he’d received emails and phone calls from constituents who were unhappy about Trump’s impending visit, and he understood their concerns. However, he added, “I will fulfill my obligations as mayor of El Paso to meet with the president and discuss whatever our needs are in this community and hope that if we are expressing specifics that we can get him to come through for us.”

Other lawmakers were unwilling to welcome Trump to the city. Representative Veronica Escobar, a Democrat who represents El Paso, said in a Twitter thread that she declined an invitation from the White House to join Trump on Wednesday. She said she requested a phone call with the president to discuss her constituents concerns, but was told Trump was “too busy.”

I was told that @realDonaldTrump is “too busy” to have that conversation.



I declined the invitation because I refuse to be an accessory to his visit. I refuse to join without a dialogue about the pain his racist and hateful words & actions have caused our community and country. — Rep. Veronica Escobar (@RepEscobar) August 6, 2019

Earlier in the week, 2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said Trump should not visit El Paso:

This president, who helped create the hatred that made Saturday's tragedy possible, should not come to El Paso. We do not need more division. We need to heal. He has no place here. — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 5, 2019

Trump Began the Day With Combative Tweets

Trump was mostly out of sight on Tuesday, and White House aides said he was busy preparing for his trip on Wednesday.

“This is a very, very serious moment in our country’s history,” Trump spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters. “This president recognizes the gravity of this moment.”

However, his tweets on Tuesday night and early on Wednesday morning raised new doubts about that. First he lobbed an attack at El Paso native Beto O’Rourke, who said Sunday at a vigil for the victims of the shooting, “We have a president right now who traffics in this hatred, who incites this violence, who calls Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals, calls asylum seekers animals and an infestation.”

Beto (phony name to indicate Hispanic heritage) O’Rourke, who is embarrassed by my last visit to the Great State of Texas, where I trounced him, and is now even more embarrassed by polling at 1% in the Democrat Primary, should respect the victims & law enforcement - & be quiet! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2019

O’Rourke responded:

22 people in my hometown are dead after an act of terror inspired by your racism. El Paso will not be quiet and neither will I. https://t.co/dakFPKj0vJ — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 7, 2019

Next Trump made a crack about the New York Times changing its “Trump Urges Unity Vs. Racism” headline, saying “After 3 years I almost got a good headline from the Times!” Then the president tried to tie the Dayton shooter to Democrats, presumably to deflect criticism from those linking his rhetoric to an uptick in white supremacist violence.

“Meanwhile, the Dayton, Ohio, shooter had a history of supporting political figures like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and ANTIFA.” @OANN I hope other news outlets will report this as opposed to Fake News. Thank you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2019

Trump Said He’s Looking Into Expanding Gun Background Checks

In a pair of tweets on Monday, Trump suggested tying immigration legislation to strengthening gun background checks. Then in his remarks on the shootings on Monday, her reiterated his support for “red flag” laws, but proposed not other gun measures. Before heading to Ohio on Tuesday, Trump claimed he’s now considering strengthening background checks, saying, “I think we can do something on background checks like we’ve never done before.” He added that he sees “no political appetite” for banning assault rifles.

Trump says he is looking to do background checks as he doesn't want to put guns in the hands of "mentally unstable people" pic.twitter.com/Be4vykAo4Z — Bloomberg TicToc (@tictoc) August 7, 2019

Of course, contradictory claims on gun violence measures are nothing new for Trump.

Trump today: “I think we can do something on background checks like we’ve never done before.”



Trump in 2018 after Parkland shooting: “We’re going to be very strong on background checks. We’re going to be doing very strong background checks.” — Manu Raju (@mkraju) August 7, 2019

Trump’s Visit Sparks Protests in Dayton

Dayton’s mayor and other local officials greeted the president and First Lady Melania Trump at the airport, then headed to Miami Valley Hospital.

Happening Now: @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS Melania are meeting with patients at Miami Valley Hospital here in Dayton. They’ve been stopping between rooms to thank the hardworking medical staff. Very powerful moments for all! — Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) August 7, 2019

According to the Dayton Daily News, about 150 protesters gathered near the hospital, holding signs that read “no assault weapons” and “stand up to the NRA.” The Trump baby balloon also made an appearance.

Under a waving "Resist" flag and in front of the infamous "Trump Baby" balloon, a crowd in Dayton shouts "not one more!" ahead of the president's visit to the city.



A mass shooting in Dayton last weekend left nine dead. https://t.co/o0mqUtoqq0 pic.twitter.com/uPRvovyf9f — ABC News (@ABC) August 7, 2019

The New York Times reported that a crowd also gathered in Dayton’s Oregon District, where the shooting occurred.

Dayton residents are lining the streets to protest Trump's visit and call for Congress to act on gun violence and #DoSomething. Trump heads to El Paso later this afternoon. (via @politico) pic.twitter.com/gdrsIqEysJ — Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) August 7, 2019

Local resident of Dayton, OH: "I work... I usually am not able to come protest something like this, but I do not feel like this is a place where Trump should come for a photo-op on our dead people. He has made it clear he's not sincere... We didn't want him here." pic.twitter.com/3B5GdC2pdv — Matt Rogers 🎙 (@Politidope) August 7, 2019

Though the area is only a few blocks from Miami Valley Hospital, Trump did not visit the shooting site. Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said was for the best.

“I think it was a good decision for him not to stop in the Oregon District,” Whaley explained. “I think a lot of people that own businesses in that district aren’t interested in the president being there. And, you know, a lot of the time his talk can be very divisive, and that’s the last thing we need in Dayton.”

Trump Lashes Out at Ohio Officials

Though Senator Brown and Mayor Whaley reiterated their criticism of Trump’s resistance to gun-control legislation, after Trump left they said only positive things about his hospital visit.

“They were hurting. He was comforting. He did the right things. Melania did the right things,” Brown said. “And it’s his job in part to comfort people. I’m glad he did it in those hospital rooms.”

Whaley added: “I think the victims and the first responders were grateful that the president of the United States came to Dayton.”

Bizarrely, that did not keep Trump and other White House officials from attacking Brown and Whaley for mischaracterizing the hospital visit. Trump tweeted:

....misrepresenting what took place inside of the hospital. Their news conference after I left for El Paso was a fraud. It bore no resemblance to what took place with those incredible people that I was so lucky to meet and spend time with. They were all amazing!o — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2019

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and social media director Dan Scavino posted similar complaints to Twitter:

..The President was treated like a Rock Star inside the hospital, which was all caught on video. They all loved seeing their great President! — Dan Scavino Jr.🇺🇸 (@Scavino45) August 7, 2019

President @realDonaldTrump graciously asked Sen Brown & Mayor Whaley to join as he and the First Lady visited victims, medical staff & first responders. It is genuinely sad to see them immediately hold such a dishonest press conference in the name of partisan politics. https://t.co/BB0lXhfBnG — Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) August 7, 2019

Whaley responded:

Not sure what the President thinks @SenSherrodBrown and I misrepresented. As we said, the victims and first responders were comforted by his presence. Let’s hope he’s not one of these all talk, no action politicians and actually does something on gun control. #DoSomething — Nan Whaley (@nanwhaley) August 7, 2019

Trump Also Lashed Out at Biden and Fox News

Trump’s decidedly un-somber mood continued as he headed to El Paso. First he attacked Joe Biden, who gave a speech in Iowa on Wednesday saying the president has “fanned the flames of white supremacy in this nation.”

Watching Sleepy Joe Biden making a speech. Sooo Boring! The LameStream Media will die in the ratings and clicks with this guy. It will be over for them, not to mention the fact that our Country will do poorly with him. It will be one big crash, but at least China will be happy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2019

Then he went after former pal Fox News:

Watching Fake News CNN is better than watching Shepard Smith, the lowest rated show on @FoxNews. Actually, whenever possible, I turn to @OANN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2019

Trump attacked Brown and Whaley again at the end of his visit to El Paso. “We had an amazing day,” Trump said, according to the Washington Post. “As you know, we left Ohio. The love, the respect for the office of the presidency.”

Patients in El Paso Refuse to Meet With Trump

None of the eight people still being treated at University Medical Center in El Paso agreed to meet with Trump, hospital spokesman Ryan Mielke said. Two patients who had already been discharged returned with family members to meet Trump.

“This is a very sensitive time in their lives,” Mielke said. “Some of them said they didn’t want to meet with the president. Some of them didn’t want any visitors.”

Some of the hospitalized victims have already accepted visits from various local officials.

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said the Trumps were “received very warmly by not just victims and their families, but by the many members of medical staff who lined the hallways to meet them. It was a moving visit for all involved.”

Trump tweeted out many photos and videos of his visit to both hospitals, though the press was previously told they could not accompany him because the trip was not a “photo op.”

Trump Says Shooter “Gave Up, Just Gave Up”

Hundreds turned out for a protest in an El Paso park that ended just as Trump arrived at University Medical Center. Some walked over to the hospital in the hope that Trump would see their message about addressing gun violence, and ending his racist rhetoric. His motorcade passed protesters holding “Racist Go Home” signs.

Trump met with first responders at the El Paso’s emergency operations center. He called Police Chief Greg Allen a “winner,” and told a female officer, “I saw you on television the other day and you were fantastic.”

Trump also made a bizarre remark about the shooter, who was arrested, saying he’s a “coward. He gave up, just gave up.”

And he bragged about his rally in El Paso earlier this year, which he still hasn’t paid for, saying of the arena that he “Could have sold it out four times.”

Trump Ends the Day With More Twitter Jabs

Trump squeezed in a few more attacks on the way home, going after Joaquin and Julián Castro:

I don’t know who Joaquin Castro is other than the lesser brother of a failed presidential candidate (1%) who makes a fool of himself every time he opens his mouth. Joaquin is not the man that his brother is, but his brother, according to most, is not much. Keep fighting Joaquin! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2019

And the media once again. “Sad!” is an inelegant but apt description for the whole day.

Leaving El Paso for the White House. What GREAT people I met there and in Dayton, Ohio. The Fake News worked overtime trying to disparage me and the two trips, but it just didn’t work. The love, respect & enthusiasm were there for all to see. They have been through so much. Sad! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2019

This story has been updated throughout.