A Capital Gazette editor penned an emotional letter to President Donald Trump Monday, days after a memorial service for his five colleagues killed in a newsroom attack.
“Dear President Trump, I am sorry you didn’t make it to Annapolis. We just finished eulogizing our dead friends. Maybe you could have said a few nice words, too,” it starts.
The editor, Rick Hutzell, describes letters he’s received since the attack, some of which blame him for not letting his colleagues carry guns, or hiring a security guard. Hutzell tries to level with the president — neither him nor Trump is to blame for the mass shooting.
Instead of casting blame, Hutzell asks Trump for accountability. “How do we make what happened in Annapolis the last mass shooting in America?”
He urges the president to not shirk the responsibility. “It’s hard. I know there is no answer yet … what I really want is for you to search for a solution. I’m asking you to do your job and lead us.”
With this, he tries to motivate Trump: “You might go down as the greatest president in history if only you could answer this question. You’d be remembered as a good one if only you would try.”
Trump, who routinely calls the reporters who cover him “fake news” and “liars” and labels them “enemies of the people,” offered a rare statement of support after learning of the attack June 28. “Journalists, like all Americans, should be free from the fear of being violently attacked while doing their jobs,” he said.
Trump had not commented on the letter Monday morning.
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