“I know that they feel that there is a black hole in the chest that they are being sucked into and that things will never get better,” he said. “But our prayers are with you. And I guarantee you, the one you lost will always be with you, will always be with you. “
The president’s ability to project empathy for those who are suffering contrasts with Trump, who struggled to convey a dark feeling of support at these times. (His smiling thumb-up photo at a hospital after a mass shooting in El Paso generated a reaction of angry comments about his visit). opponent of having no real empathy for those who were suffering.
Biden also accused his predecessor of embracing and fomenting the racial conflict that rocked the country and inspired acts of violence like the one that broke out in Atlanta on Tuesday. It was Trump’s reaction to racist violence in 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia – and especially his comment about “good people” among white supremacist hooligans – that motivated him to run for president, Biden always said.
Moments of mourning after mass shootings can be a special challenge for any president. They demand the ability to comfort those who are suffering the loss of their loved ones, while offering optimism and hope to a nation that is often severely shaken by the horror of what has just happened.
In 2012, after 20 children were killed by a sniper in Newtown, Connecticut, President Barack Obama concluded the comments at a memorial service by slowly reading their names, one by one, while some in the audience cried.
Three years later, after finishing his praise to Reverend Clementa Pinckney, who was shot dead along with eight others during a Bible study in a Charleston, SC church, Obama sang a little “Amazing Grace”, taking the church to his feet and touching the heart of the country.
Much like that moment, Biden now faces not only a terrible wave of murders, but an episode enveloped in racial tensions. And, as during Obama’s term, words of empathy will be followed by tough questions about what the federal government can or should do to prevent the tragic scene from recurring.
Sabrina Tavernise contributed reports from Atlanta.