President Joe Biden announced on Monday that he and first lady Jill Biden would be traveling to Buffalo, New York, on Tuesday to grieve with the community following the horrific race-based massacre there that took the lives of ten and injured three others.
At a Tops supermarket in the city Saturday afternoon, the suspected gunman, 18-year-old Payton Gendron of Conklin, New York, opened fire on the store's mostly black clientele, killing several in the parking lot before entering the store and continuing the violent rampage.
Gendron reportedly told police that he had been planning a violent attack on the black community and has allegedly espoused white supremacist and fascist views online.
Jill and I will travel to Buffalo on Tuesday to grieve with the community that lost ten lives in a senseless and horrific mass shooting.— President Biden (@President Biden) 1652662465
The vile attack has set the community and the country reeling. After such tragedies, a presidential visit is often a source of comfort and healing. As such, no one appears to be suggesting that Biden should not visit Buffalo.
But critics were quick to point out that Biden's prompt visit to the city reeks of political bias, especially since the president has yet to pay a visit to Waukesha, Wisconsin, where another mass-casualty attack took place late last year.
In that incident, a black convict recently released from jail on questionable terms, Darrell Brooks Jr., allegedly drove his car into a crowd of mostly white people at a Christmas parade, killing six and injuring more than 60 others.
It just so happens that the massacre in Buffalo — in which a white man killed innocent black people using guns — fits Biden's political narrative, while the heinous attack in Waukesha did not, the critics suggested.
In the aftermath of the Waukesha massacre, the White House defended Biden's decision not to personally visit the city by arguing that sending the president to a community "requires a lot of assets." Apparently, plentiful assets are not such an impediment this time.
Daily Wire contributor Matt Walsh called Biden's refusal to visit Waukesha "beyond vile" in light of his speedy visit to Buffalo.
We're used to Democrats being detestable pigs of course but it is just beyond vile that Biden never visited Waukesha. He's running up to Buffalo immediately but he never made a personal appearance in Waukesha because the victims were white.— Matt Walsh (@Matt Walsh) 1652670215
When a black supremacist committed a massacre at a Christmas parade in Waukesha, the President of the United States refused to visit the victims. Nearly a month after the attack, he sent his wife for a photo op. \n\nBiden will be in Buffalo personally on Tuesday.— Matt Walsh (@Matt Walsh) 1652671162
Larry Elder and RealClearInvestigations senior writer Mark Hemingway also made note of the president's apparent bias. As did Todd Starnes.
MEDIA BIAS\n\n11/21/21: Black man drives through Waukesha Christmas parade, kills 6, injures 62. Facebook posts praised Hitler, supported BLM and called for violence against whites\n\n5/14/22: White man in a Buffalo supermarket shoots and kills 10, injures 3. Posted racist manifestopic.twitter.com/Y25IyWqTmq— Larry Elder (@Larry Elder) 1652610820
Remember how six people were killed and 62 injured in Waukesha and Biden wouldn\u2019t visit because politics? Good times.https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1525974074584977409\u00a0\u2026— Mark Hemingway (@Mark Hemingway) 1652656641
JUST IN: President Biden will visit Buffalo on Tuesday. There's no word yet on when he will visit Waukesha, WI or Orange County, CA or Brooklyn, NY.— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) 1652655059
Conservative commenter Candace Owens, too, joined the chorus of those criticizing the president and the media, saying, "Both acts are heinous but they will not earn equal coverage in the media ... they will elevate the Buffalo shooting because white crimes vs. black victims [are] preferred."
Both acts are heinous but they will not earn equal coverage in the media. \nOur dishonest, race-obsessed media should be blamed for BOTH of these massacres.\nThey will elevate the Buffalo shooting because white crimes vs. black victims is preferred. \n\nThe cycle of hatred continues.— Candace Owens (@Candace Owens) 1652628070
Others on Twitter called Biden's actions "disgusting" and claimed that he is only visiting Buffalo because he believes an appearance there can be "politically advantageous."