President Donald “I’ve Always Been Good to You People” Trump is the Miss Millie of male Karens and the Milli Vanilli of white saviors. Sure, he can make the bold claim that he’s done more for Black Americans than any president since Abraham Lincoln (while citing bare-minimum policies that have mostly proven ineffective in changing the socio-economic conditions that Black people in America live under), but when it comes to the Black Lives Matter movement, he’s been nothing but belligerent and unsupportive. So it should surprise absolutely no one that the commander-in-golf courses will not be visiting the Capitol to pay his respects to civil rights icon and 17-term Georgia House Rep. John Lewis.
Just before leaving the White House for a trip to North Carolina, Trump was asked by a reporter if he would be viewing Lewis’ casket, which arrived at the U.S. Capitol on Monday. Trump replied with a simple, “I won’t be going, no.”
From The Hill:
The casket will be displayed outside at the top of the steps of the Capitol later Monday so that members of the public can pay their respects while maintaining distance because of the coronavirus pandemic. The outdoor public viewing will be continued during the day Tuesday.
Trump ordered flags at the White House to fly at half-staff in honor of Lewis for part of the day following his death. The president said that day that he was “saddened” to hear the news of Lewis’s death, calling him a civil rights hero in a tweet, but has otherwise said little about his death publicly.
Don’t get it twisted: Lewis didn’t fuck with Trump any more than Trump fucked with him (or non-Sunken Place Black people, in general). So, we can all rest assured that Lewis wouldn’t be offended that Putin’s better half didn’t show the same willingness to put politics aside that other presidents have shown when a fellow elected official who they may have had a beef with has died. I’d imagine no one in Lewis’ family wants the Oompa Loompa-in-chief there anyway.