President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump paid their respects to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Thursday, but the couple wasn’t met with a somber acknowledgment from the assembled crowd. Instead, people loudly booed and chanted “vote him out” at Trump as he and the first lady stood in silence.
Trump arrived at the Supreme Court — where the late justice was lying in repose — wearing a mask, a dark suit, and a blue tie. He appeared reserved as he looked at the flag-draped casket from the top of the steps, as shown in a video posted to Twitter by Washington Post politics Reporter Zach Purser Brown. Melania was next to him at a slight distance, also wearing a mask and dark dress.
As they stood silently, the crowd increased its volume, booing and jeering with some yelling “honor her wish” — a reference to Ginsburg’s stated desire that her replacement not be named until a new president was elected — and others chanting about removing Trump from office. Eventually, many people unified in the chant to vote the president out. Trump and Melania then turned and left as the people continued their demonstration.
Some commenters on social media were critical of the Trumps’ display of respect for Ginsburg, who died at the age of 87 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
“I’m not sure why he felt the need to make this visit to her casket. It’s not like he actually respected her. He’s not capable of respecting any woman. He is against everything that RBG believed in. This appearance was a farce,” wrote one social media user.
Others criticized those who participated in the chanting and booing.
“It’s sad for the family of #RuthBaderGinsburg to have to experience that. The crowd was inconsiderate, & the timing inappropriate. @POTUS @realDonaldTrump is a vile, despicable & duplicitous human, earning & deserving their scorn, but not there, not then. Vote him out in November,” one person wrote on Twitter .
Not all of the comments were negative, however. Some came to Trump’s defense.
“It’s okay he isn’t made of glass. after all he has been through, that is not going to break him,” one user tweeted .
Trump has said that he will wait until after Ginsburg’s memorial before announcing her proposed replacement. Since her death, he has had kind words for the liberal icon, praising her as a brilliant legal mind.
He has, however, repeatedly suggested that Ginsburg’s dying wish, which was conveyed through the late justice’s granddaughter, was a hoax written by the leader of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, or Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, as The Inquisitr previously reported.