President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden head to Uvalde, Texas to meet with a grief-stricken community following the deadly elementary school shooting that left 19 kids and two adults dead.
But not everyone in the predominantly conservative town is thrilled about his visit.
According to Stella Chavez, an immigrations and demographics reporter for KERA News, told CNN’S Brian Stetler that there is “a lot of outrage” over Biden’s visit.
“I think it depends on who you ask…I think, for the most part, the families who were affected want to focus on their loved ones who were killed. And I think having the leader of our country come here and express, you know, his condolences is important to them. But I also know, I've heard people say, you know, now is not the time for him to come here.”
Chavez said he believes the community is worried Biden will politicize the event, adding that people don’t want to focus on what could have happened or what should have happened, they just want to “focus on the kids.”
In 2020, 57 percent of Ulvade residents voted for President Trump. Its own mayor, a Republican, Don McLaughlin called Biden’s presidency a "total failure" and his border policy a “clown show.”
Many people in the community told USA Today that other issues such as immigration should have brought Biden to the town long before the shooting occurred.
Upon Air Force One landing in San Antonio, the Biden’s are expected to visit the informal memorial outside of Robb Elementary School that has accumulated an overflow of flowers and notes. They will also meet with mourning families, survivors and first responders.
Reporter in Uvalde tells @brianstelter on Sunday that President Biden visiting Uvalde, Texas, is "stoking "a lot of outrage," but also notes that having @POTUS express his condolences there "is important" to the families of those affected.https://t.co/z5oZyWf8Zx
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 29, 2022