President Trump paid a flying visit to Mississippi on Saturday to open a civil rights museum which critics boycotted because of his attendance, spending less than two hours in the state before racing back to Air Force One to fly to Mar-a-Lago.
The president flew in to Jackson from Florida, where he spent the night on Friday, at around 11.20am.
He then went straight to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Mississippi State History Museum where, after a swift, private tour, he gave a brief and unremarkable speech before leaving.
Predictably, he congratulated the state’s governor Phil Bryant and paid homage to the people who the museum honors.
President Trump spoke at the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson on Saturday morning despite boycotts from local black leaders who dropped out when they found out he was going
He made no mention of the absence of iconic civil rights leader John Lewis who earlier in the week announced he would not be attending because Trump was on the bill.
Nor did he speak of the NAACP which held a separate event in the city to distance themselves from the president.
‘We’re here today to celebrate the opening of two really extraordinary museums.
‘These museums are labours of love. Love for Mississippi, love for your nation, love for God given dignity written in to every human soul.
‘These buildings embody the hope that has lived in the hearts of every American for generations.
‘We want our country to be a place where every child from every background can grow up free from fear, innocent of hatred and surrounded by love, opportunity and hope,’ said Trump.
With just one reference to the ‘great success’ he has had in Mississippi, the president continued: ‘This is an incredible tribute not only to the state of Mississippi, this is a tribute to our nation at the highest level.’
Trump described the two museums being opened as ‘really extraordinary’ and said they represented the ‘hope’ the country has for ‘peace, equality and freedom’
President Trump greets Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant after his speech at the museum on Saturday morning
Before taking the stage, the president was given a private tour of the museum. His visit was controversial and stopped local groups from attending
President Trump was solemn and sincere during the tour, listening intently as a museum representative took him round
Trump waits to be shown to the stage at the Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, Mississippi, after a tour
He arrived in Mississippi shortly after 11am after jetting in on Air Force One from Florida, where he spent the night at his Mar-a-Lago home after a rally in Pensacola
Charles Evers, the brother of slain civil rights hero Medgar Evers, was on site to greet the president when he arrived. He did not follow the same accord of other leaders of the movement who said Trump’s presence was an ‘insult’ to their mission
Over and out: After his eight minute speech at the museum, Trump was whisked straight back to the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers Airport to be flown back to Florida. He will return to Washington on Sunday
Rep. John Lewis and Rep. and Rep. Bennie Thompson both refused to attend the event. They said Trump’s policies were ‘hurtful’ to the civil rights movement
The event was shadowed by the absence of Lewis and Bennie Thompson, the Dem. Rep. for Mississippi’s 2nd District.
Earlier in the week, the pair announced that they would not attend while Trump, whose policies they said were ‘hurtful’, was scheduled to appear.
They issued a joint statement which read:
‘President Trump’s attendance and his hurtful policies are an insult to the people portrayed in the civil rights museum.
‘The struggles represented in this museum exemplify the truth of what really happened in Mississippi. President Trump’s disparaging comments about women, the disabled, immigrants and NFL players disrespect the efforts of Fannie Lou Hamer, Aaron Henry, Medgar Evers, Robert Clark, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and countless others who have given their all for Mississippi to be a better place.
‘After President Trump departs, we encourage all Mississippians and Americans to visit this historic civil rights museum.’
Others boycotted the event because of the president’s continued support of Alabama senate hopeful Roy Moore, an alleged sexual abuser who said America was at its greatest in times of slavery.
Across town: The NAACP (The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) held its own event elsewhere in Jackson in protest of the president’s visit
Protesters braved the uncharacteristically cold day and lined the road the president’s motorcade took with signs
Snow melts around a protester in Jackson, Mississippi, as the president prepares to speak at the city’s newly opened Civil Rights Museum