Donald Trump’s visit to a Christian academy on Wednesday left one first-grader there very “nervous.” Another was captivated by his “orange hair.”
The Republican nominee visited the International Christian Academy at the International Church of Las Vegas on Wednesday, said USA Today.
Trump received quite the reaction when he entered the classroom.
“Look who’s here! Mr. Trump!” the teacher said.
“Are they all great students?” Trump asked — a question that led to lots of raised hands around the classroom.
“Everybody’s the best,” Trump joked.
Several of the kids welcomed Trump with blaring greetings, but one in particular reacted differently: “I’m nervous, I’m nervous, I’m nervous.”
Another student followed up by saying, “I want to touch his hair because it’s orange.”
Some criticized Trump for choosing to drop in on students at the Christian school, saying it discriminates against the disabled as well as people of other faiths, said the New York Daily News.
Annette Magnus-Marquart, with the group Battle Born Progress, called attention to a section of the handbook for the International Christian Academy that says admission can be denied “to any individual whose family or personal lifestyle is not consistent with the philosophy or purpose of the school.”
“They’re making discriminatory policies. That’s a huge problem,” she said. “If it doesn’t fit what they deem to be their academic standard, their philosophy or their religion, then they can discriminate. We should not be tolerating that.”
“We’re just trying to be honest,” responded Pastor Paul Marc Goblet, adding that the school does accommodate students in wheelchairs, but applicants who exhibit behavioral problems or learning disabilities might be referred to other schools.
Trump chose not to comment on the controversy surrounding his visit, but instead offered words of praise.
“We need more schools like this all over the country,” he said. “If we had, we wouldn’t be having the problems we have right now. You can see it in the students’ faces: they are learning and they are happy.”