US President Donald Trump was met with fierce pushback as he visited two cities where gunmen killed dozens of innocent people.
The White House billed the visits as opportunities to unite Americans after the tragedies.
However, many of those who gathered in the popular nightlife area where the mass shooting in Ohio took place and the hospital where victims are being treated held signs calling for gun reform and questioning Trump’s effect on the national discourse.
In El Paso, Texas, some protesters carried signs saying “racist, go home”. There were similar scenes in the other city he visited, Dayton, in Ohio.
On the other hand, the Democratic congresswoman who represents El Paso, Veronica Escobar, refused to meet the president, saying his “racist and hateful words & actions” had caused pain to her community and her country.
A smaller group of pro-Trump supporters thanked the president.
In total 31 people died in the attacks in El Paso and Dayton, which took place within hours of each other.
