Outrage as Trump tells insensitive joke about getting shot to Gold Star family at Pennsylvania town hall

OAKS, PENNSYLVANIA: GOP nominee Donald Trump cracked an ill-timed joke about being shot during a town hall event in Pennsylvania on Monday, October 14, reported Mediaite.

According to the publication, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem introduced a Gold Star family, who lost their son in the war in Afghanistan, to the former president when the latter made the quip.

The closest Trump had ever come to being shot was when he was grazed by a bullet while speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, back in July in what was apparently a failed assassination attempt. 

Donald Trump's insensitive interaction with Gold Star family

Kristi Noem introduced Mary and Charles Strange, parents of deceased US trooper Michael, on stage on Monday. As they approached, Trump said in jest, "It’s a little harder to get up since I got shot. It made it more difficult. Perhaps that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

“Sir, they lost their son Michael,” stated Noem, as Trump went on to greet the parents.

“My son was killed August 6, 2011, with 29 other men. It was the biggest loss of life in the Iraq and Afghan war,” the father of the deceased soldier told Trump. "22 of them men were Navy Special Warfare. To this day, we still haven’t gotten any answers. I was wondering, I’m begging you, we would like a congressional hearing.”

The business tycoon promised to help them within the first week if he gets elected, saying, "So here’s what we’re going to do. In the first week– not the first day because I made a lot of promises in the first day, we’re gonna drill baby drill, we’re gonna close up the border, we’re gonna do a lot in the first day. In the first week, we will set up a commission.”

"We’re gonna find out because so many people are in your same position. They want to know what happened, why did it happen to their son or daughter, and we’re gonna do that in the first week," he continued. "So you get ready to come over to the White House, okay?”

Internet slams Trump for his insensitive joke

Netizens reacting to a clip of Trump joking about getting shot on the social media platform X called him out for having 'no empathy.' The following tweets demonstrate the predominant takes.

"They lost their son and he quips about being shot? Who is this fool?" wrote a user.

"This guy, he always makes it about him, and damn he has no empathy," stated another.

"Always—ALWAYS—the victim. Bwaaaah," mocked a third.

"None of this is normal. NONE OF IT. He is a soulless ghoul!" chided a fourth.

"It always has to be about him. They gave him a chance to show a shred of decency and he made it about him," echoed a fifth.

"His lack of humanity astounds me sometimes," expressed yet another.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.