White House announcement comes after the city’s mayor asked the president to delay a visit until after victims’ funerals

Donald Trump will travel to Pittsburgh on Tuesday to mourn victims of the synagogue massacre, the White House press secretary has announced at a rare and acrimonious official briefing.

But the announcement came shortly after the mayor of Pittsburgh, Bill Peduto, had called on the president not to visit so soon. Funerals for the victims of Saturday’s mass shooting begin on Tuesday.

“If the president is looking to come to Pittsburgh I would ask that he not do so while we are burying the dead,” Peduto told local reporters. He said the city did not have enough public safety officials “to provide enough protection at the funerals and to be able, at the same time, to draw attention away to a potential presidential visit”.

The White House announcement also came despite an open letter to the president from the leaders of a Jewish group in Pittsburgh saying Trump was not welcome there until he publicly states opposition to white nationalism.

Play Video 1:54 'We'll be there': Muslim community raises $70,000 for Pittsburgh synagogue attack victims – video

Despite these factors, at a tense White House press briefing Sarah Sanders told reporters on Monday afternoon that the president intends to make the trip along with his wife, Melania Trump, to express the support of the American people and grieve with the local community.

“The president cherishes the American Jewish community for everything it stands for and contributes to our country,” Sanders said. “He adores Jewish Americans as part of his family.”

Her voice cracking with emotion, she added: “The president is the grandfather of several Jewish grandchildren. His daughter is a Jewish American and his son-in-law is a descendant of Holocaust survivors.”

Donald Trump's rhetoric has stoked antisemitism and hatred, experts warn Read more

Sanders’ press briefings now have greater scarcity value than Trump’s own. This was only the second one in October, whereas the president has been holding informal question and answer sessions regularly as he campaigns for the midterm elections. Monday’s event soon came to reflect the rancorous mood of recent days.

Asked why the president has been attacking the media instead of uniting the country, Sanders said testily: “The very first thing that the president did was condemn the attacks, both in Pittsburgh and in the pipe bombs. The very first thing the media did was blame the president and make him responsible for these ridiculous acts.”

She added: “It’s outrageous that that would be the very first reaction of so many people across this country.”

Cesar Sayoc is charged with federal crimes after being apprehended last week in the mail bomb plot against leading Democrats and cable TV company CNN, all of which have been targets of Trump’s rhetoric. Meanwhile, Robert Bowers is charged with killing 11 people on Saturday in what is believed to be the deadliest attack on Jewish people in American history.

Trump condemned the attacks and called for unity but then rapidly pivoted to tweeting about the media, which he branded “the true Enemy of People” on Monday, and lambasting political opponents at campaign rallies.

Jim Acosta, the chief White House correspondent at CNN, asked Sanders if the term “enemy” should be reserved for people “who are actually the enemy of the United States rather than journalists”.

The spokeswoman replied: “The president is not referencing all media, he’s talking about the growing amount of fake news that exists in the country, and the president’s calling that out.”

Acosta asked Sanders which outlets she and Trump regard as enemies of the American people. She retorted: “I’m not going to walk through a list but I think those individuals probably know who they are.”

Undeterred, Acosta asked if Sanders should “have the guts” to state which outlets and journalists are the enemy. She said: “I think it’s irresponsible of a news organisation like yours to blame responsibility of a pipe bomb that was not sent by the president – not just blame the president but blame members of his administration for those heinous acts. I think it’s outrageous and I think that is irresponsible.”

Last week CNN’s president, Jeff Zucker, issued a statement condemning Trump’s and Sanders’ attacks on the media after the network received an explosive device in the mail.

CNN tweeted on Monday: “No @PressSec, CNN did not say @realDonaldTrump was directly responsible for the bomb sent to our office by his ardent and emboldened supporter. We did say that he, and you, should understand your words matter. Every single one of them. But so far, you don’t seem to get that.”