Those familiar with the 2016 presidential race know all too well that GOP frontrunner Donald Trump has no shortage of opinions on various topics. And when prompted, the billionaire candidate will share his thoughts on darn near anything, laying it all out with the kind of blunt verbiage that has set him apart from the rest of the pack of presidential contenders. On Tuesday, the real estate mogul turned politician waded into one of the most controversial non-political stories of recent weeks, the unfortunate death of a silverback gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo.
“I think it’s a very tough call. It’s amazing because there were moments with the gorilla the way he held that child it was almost like a mother holding a baby,” Trump said as he discussed the zoo’s decision to shoot and kill the endangered primate named Harambe . His statements were published by Time Magazine . “It looked so beautiful and calm. And then there were moments where it looked pretty dangerous. I don’t think they had a choice. I mean, probably they didn’t have a choice. You have a child, a young child who’s at stake, and it’s too bad there wasn’t another way.”
Donald Trump made the above-noted comments during a public event on Tuesday. While the main purpose behind his appearance was to tout charitable contributions to veterans’ organizations, Trump also fielded questions about a number of topics including new disclosures over his infamous business venture, Trump University. He also took swipes at the media and discussed current events, such as the death of Harambe.
As previously discussed by The Mirror and other news outlets, zoo officials made the difficult decision to shoot 17-year-old Harambe after a 3-year-old child fell into his enclosure on Saturday. Although Harambe appeared to shelter the child briefly, he also dragged the boy around violently, causing concern that he would ultimately kill the child. The boy was injured during the encounter and he was later treated and released from an area hospital.
After video of the child’s brush with Harambe went viral online, many people took to social media to express their outrage, complaining that the child’s mother should have paid attention to her child, ostensibly preventing the situation from ever taking place. Others questioned the zoo’s decision to shoot Harambe. Some people even called for criminal charges over the matter, expressing their sentiments via the hashtag # JusticeForHarambe .
A beautiful animal that spent his life in captivity. It’s not the life they were meant to have. #justiceforharambe pic.twitter.com/qbWUA7rUvs
— lexie (@lxrryssparrows) May 30, 2016
Donald Trump is not alone in crediting the Cincinnati Zoo for their quick decision under such difficult circumstances. Jack Hanna , celebrity animal expert and director of the Columbus Zoo, told reporters that zoo officials made the right call.
“I agree 1,000 %,” Hanna said in comments re-published by USA Today . “A human being is alive today because of the decision the Cincinnati Zoo made.”
Then again, Donald Trump does not exactly enjoy good standing with many animal activists. The Trump family has been roundly criticized over 2011 photos of an African safari involving Donald Trump, Jr. and Eric Trump. As reported by Huffington Post , the Trump sons have shared numerous photos from the junket in which they posed with “trophy” kills including a leopard and an elephant. For his part, Donald Trump expressed support for his sons amidst the controversy.
“My sons love to hunt,” said Donald Trump according to the Daily Mail . “They are members of the NRA, very proudly. I am a big believer in the Second Amendment .”
[Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images]