Trump criticized for holding rally while Hurricane Michael slams Florida

Democratic politicians are criticizing President Trump for holding a political rally Wednesday as Michael Hurricane pounded the Florida Panhandle with heavy rain and 155 mph winds, causing multiple deaths.

The president announced Wednesday afternoon that he would have waited for a scheduled rally in Erie, Pa. – an opportunity to campaign leading up to the midterm elections.

"I'm not disappointed that you're going there," he wrote on Twitter. "I look forward to seeing everyone this evening."

But some politicians called his decision to continue with the rallyInappropriate"And"revoltingHurricane Sandy in early November 2012, Trump scolded President Barack Obama for attending a campaign in Columbus, featuring singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen and rapper Jay-Z – which was days after the storm had dissipated. But at the time, Trump said it was "Wrong!"

"Tonight @realDonaldTrump is fundraising and holding a rally in Pennsylvania while Michael Hurricane victims across Florida are still decimated. Wrong! "Andrew Weinstein, co-chair of the Democrats' National Lawyers Council, wrote Wednesday on Twitter, mocking Trump's 2012 remarks.

[Trump rallies supporters in Pennsylvania as Hurricane Michael makes landfall]

Trump began his speech Wednesday by extending "our thoughts and prayers of your entire nation to everyone in the path of Hurricane Michael."

But some questioned whether Trump should have attended at all.

In fact, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) posed that precise question.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) posted video of a live CNN broadcast showing the storm raging in Panama City Beach.

Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, also called out Trump for mocking the #MeToo movement. During Trump's rally, he said: "There's an expression, but under the rules of Me Too, I'm not allowed to use that expression anymore. I can not do it. "It's not clear which expression he was referencing.

Then Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Criticized the president for campaigning "while millions suffered from #HurricaneMichael."

News of the rally also made the morning news Thursday as hosts debated about it. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough called out Trump on his show "Morning Joe" for "holding a full-on pe rally while Americans are suffering and dying in northwest Florida," according to Mediaite.

At the same time, "Fox & Friends" co-host Brian Kilmeade called it a "good move."

"So, the president last night was able to join [Fox News anchor] Shannon Bream after his rally in Pennsylvania. He wanted to be sure that he was holding the rally, he never really got into the eyes of the storm, "Kilmeade said, according to Media Matters for America. He added that "I think that was, overall, a good move."

Trump said on Fox News Channel that he did not cancel the event because he did not want to disappoint all of his supporters.

When Bream, the host of "Fox News @ Night," asked the president Wednesday night that he said, "Well, if I did not go , they would also criticize. "

"The problem I had, Shannon, was this long ago," he continued. "We had thousands of people lined up from yesterday. I mean, literally, they stayed 24 hours and sometimes more than that to go to these rallies. They like them. You probably saw the pictures on tv tonight, thousands of people outside the arena. It was a big arena. But it was full. And we had 15,000 or beyond that people outside. And so, you had these people waiting for hours, many hours. And if I did not go, that would have been the wrong thing, too. "

"And more importantly anything, we have people in Florida. We have people in the White House. I had everything set up on Air Force One. I was in total communication. "

Trump said there "had a fantastic time."

"But it would have been very difficult to get along," "By the way, I'm not going to be there tonight." "It would have been pretty tough," he said. said.

Trump echoed his comments Thursday morning on "Fox & Friends."

When co-host Steve Trump responds: "Well, I think really when I explained it was no heat. I really had very little heat, other than the natural haters, of which there are obviously some. But, you know, we had thousands of people standing in line. It's a great thing that's happening. It's a great movement in our country. "

CNN reported that candidates running for U.S.Secretary and governor in Florida postponed their campaigning to focus on Michael Hurricane, which has been downgraded to a tropical storm.

A spokesman for Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) told CNN this week that the governor would be putting his campaign on hold for the "next few days." Scott, a GOP candidate for U.S. Senate in the state, wrote Thursday on Twitter that "100% of our focus is on rescue & recovery from this devastating storm."

His opponent, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), "Spokesman told CNN.

Gubernatorial candidate and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) said Sunday that he would be stepping away from his home to prepare for the looming natural disaster.

Read more:

'We have to evacuate': Hurricane Michael forces residents to flee inland Florida homes for emergency shelters

Michael updates: Violent storm claims second life, a child in mobile home, on its way to Carolinas

Michael Hurricane: A city-by-city forecast