A number of local and national officials have declined to appear with President Donald Trump during his visit to Pittsburgh, where 11 Jewish congregation members of the Tree of Life synagogue were gunned down, CNN is reporting.
The news network said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had all been invited on the Tuesday trip, but declined.
CNN attributed its information to two congressional sources.
And Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, who had said Trump should postpone his visit while burials were underway, also will not make an appearance with the president, according to CNN.
"We did try to get the message out to the White House that our priority (today) is the first funeral," Peduto told CNN.
"I do believe that it would be best to put the attention on the families this week, and if he (Trump) were to visit, choose a different time to be able to do it," the mayor said. "Our focus as a city will be on the families and the outreach that they'll need this week and the support that they'll need to get through it."
But Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, who was leading services at the temple as the shooting started, told CNN, the president is welcome.
"I'm a citizen,” he said. “He's my president. He is certainly welcome."
Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported more than 1,000 people have signed up to demonstrate against the Trump visit.
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