The Biden administration is being criticized for inviting three Democratic lawmakers from Tennessee to the White House but not family members and survivors of the recent shooting at a Christian school in Nashville.
“So Monday, you’re going to have three of the lawmakers who protested, who peacefully protested, after the Nashville Covenant School shooting,” Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “Have any of the victims or the victims’ families been invited to the White House?”
“I don’t have anything to read out to you about any invite,” Jean-Pierre responded.
“Why?” Doocy followed up.
“I just don’t have anything at this time to read out to you about any invite,” she said. “What I can say to you right now is that the president is focused on getting things done.”
Tennessee Democratic State Reps. Justin Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson will visit the White House next week as Biden continues to push for gun control legislation such as an assault weapons ban. The three Tennesseans faced expulsion from the GOP-controlled chamber for their roles in leading a gun control protest on the floor of the state legislature in the aftermath of the shooting that killed six people, including three children. Jones and Pearson were expelled but shortly reinstated to their seats.
Since the protests, the three state lawmakers have been on a media tour, such as visiting New York City to be on “Good Morning America.” Now, Jones, Pearson and Johnson are set to appear with Biden in a call for gun control legislation.
Critics called out the administration after Jean-Pierre’s response that an invitation to the shooting victims and their families hasn’t been extended. James Hutton, an Iraq War veteran, tweeted, “For the Biden WH it’s politics all the time no matter what. Bringing in loudmouth politicians instead of actual victims is yet another new low.”
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee also slammed the Biden administration. . “Absolutely disgusting that POTUS won’t acknowledge or even care about cold-blooded murder of kids & staff of Christian school by a killer who was transgender,” he tweeted.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice