Donald Trump was asked this morning about Saturday’s tragic killing of a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Harambe, a 17-year-old male western lowland gorilla, was fatally shot by zoo officials after a four-year-old child fell into his enclosure.
The video went viral soon after, with many viewers expressing outrage at the boy’s parents, presuming that they were not watching him closely enough before the tragic incident.
A reporter asked Trump how he views the incident, noting that animal rights groups are enraged that the zoo chose to kill the gorilla.
Trump said it was a “very tough call” but that ultimately the zoo “did not have a choice” but to put down the gorilla to save the boy.
“It’s too bad there wasn’t another way,” said Trump, adding that the gorilla could have killed the child in a split-second with no warning.
He said he was amazed at how gentle the gorilla was with the boy at times during the tense encounter.
“The way he held that child, it was almost like a mother holding a baby. It looked so beautiful and calm. But there were moments where it looked pretty dangerous.”
Trump appeared at the news conference today to announce $5.6 million in donations to veterans groups, lambasting the media for what he described as “dishonest” reporting on the donations.
What do you think about what Donal Trump had to say?