President Donald Trump has faced criticism after displaying a graphic image of himself to young children during a public event.
At the annual White House Easter Egg Roll held yesterday (April 21), the 78-year-old Republican leader was photographed engaging with children who had traveled to Washington DC to participate in the Easter egg hunt organized on the south lawn by the Easter Bunny.
A peculiar detail was noticed by Reddit users, sparking concern among many. Trump was seen holding a trading card that depicted the aftermath of a failed assassination attempt by Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired shots at him on July 13.
During a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump narrowly escaped death when the 20-year-old attacker fired multiple shots from a sloped roof just 150 meters away from him.
Trump’s slight head movement at the precise moment the bullet was fired made a significant difference.
Despite Crooks’ attempt, Trump survived and became president. However, volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore was fatally shot, and two others were critically injured during the incident.
The violent nature of these events was not deemed appropriate for children, as noted on Reddit.
One comment read: “Forget about chocolate and bunnies, lets talk about that time somebody tried to shoot me dead. For a father of 5 and grandfather of idk how many, you’d think he’d have some idea of what is child friendly.”
Another joked: “Isn’t this what Easter is about? Assassination attempt trading cards?”
A third person humorously added: “Personally, I like Cadbury Cream Eggs, but assassination attempt trading cards are a close 37th on the list of Easter things I enjoy.”
Another user questioned Trump’s choice to discuss the topic with children. Part of their long post stated: “‘Hey kids, check out this photo of me with blood coming out of my ear! Two people died in this attempt to kill me, including the assassin. Anyhow Happy Easter!’
“Totally normal interaction with Elementary School aged children.”
They continued: “An endless list of normal, positive things to say and do but no…. ‘Here’s a pretend baseball card of my bloody face. Cool, huh?'”
The trading card, featuring Trump with a bloody ear and his hand raised, can actually be purchased on Amazon. The reverse side of the card provides details of the event.