Trump visits Pittsburgh to pay respects in wake of synagogue massacre

President Donald Trump visited Pittsburgh on Tuesday to solemnly pay his respects to a city rocked by this weekend's Tree of Life synagogue massacre and meet with several people who survived it.

He was greeted by demonstrations in the city's Squirrel Hill neighborhood that drew more than 1,000 people and opposition from some local officials who thought the president should have waited until after funerals are held for all of the 11 people killed at Tree of Life. Services are scheduled through at least Friday.

Trump didn't think it was right to wait that long.

"The president wanted to show his respect on behalf of the entire country, and to represent the country in this moment and be there to show our support," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said, according to pool reports.

After touching down at Pittsburgh International Airport shortly before 4 p.m., Trump traveled first to the synagogue where Baldwin's Robert Bowers is accused of fatally shooting the 11 and wounding six others Saturday morning. Those accompanying him included first lady Melania Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior advisor to the president.

As the president traveled through the city en route to the synagogue, many appeared to watch the motorcade pass by with little interest, according to White House pool reports. At a couple of locations, people gave the president a thumbs-down or flashed obscene gestures. One man holding a baby could be heard shouting, "We didn't invite you here," the pool reports said.

Heated debate surrounded Trump's visit.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto urged Trump to hold off on visiting until after all the victims' funeral services were held, and the mayor said he declined a White House offer to meet with the president because he wanted to attend funerals for several of the victims instead.

The local chapter of the progressive Jewish group Bend The Arc told Trump he wasn't welcome in Pittsburgh in an online letter signed by more than 75,000 people as of Tuesday afternoon, and several groups organized demonstrations in conjunction with Trump's visit.

Before Air Force One touched down, a gathering of about 200 people at Squirrel Hill's Murray Avenue and Darlington Road began walking past Murray storefronts toward Forbes Avenue. They sang songs about peace and love and waved signs with messages such as "No Place for Hate" and "Words Matter."

At Forbes, they converged with a larger group of more than 1,000 people that made its way along Shady Avenue, blocks from Tree of Life. Many sang Jewish hymns in Hebrew, and neighborhood residents came out to watch, including several young Jewish children who smiled and waved at the moving crowd. Some in the crowd were there to protest Trump, others came to show solidarity with the Jewish community and Pittsburgh as it mourns.

The march remained peaceful.

Public Safety spokeswoman Alicia George said at least one person was detained. Further information was not immediately available, but police removed one man who refused to move out of the way of police motorcycles as they put up a blockade near Tree of Life.

Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers said Monday he welcomed a visit from the president. On Tuesday, he was among those who greeted Trump when he arrived at Tree of Life at 4:40 p.m. Ambassador Ron Dermer of Israel also was on hand, according to pool reports.

The president and first lady spent about 20 minutes at the synagogue.

Myers accompanied them as they placed a small stone on each of the 11 stars placed outside the synagogue in memory of those killed. Ivanka Trump and Kushner, both Jewish, followed closely behind.

Inside the synagogue, the president and first lady lit candles in the vestibule to honor each of those killed, but they did not enter the crime scene area, according to the White House.

Trump ended his Pittsburgh visit with a 90-minute stop at UPMC Presbyterian in Oakland, where he talked with five people treated there for shooting-related injuries, emergency responders and a family member of one person killed at Tree of Life.

"He expressed his thanks for their service and his sorrow over their injuries and really wanted to hear some of their stories about the event and what's been going on since then," said Dr. Don Yealy, director of the emergency department.

"They seemed very grateful for his interest and the visit," Yealy said.

Three patients injured in the attack remain hospitalized at UPMC Presbyterian: SWAT officer Tim Matson and worshipers Daniel Leger, 70, of Squirrel Hill and Andrea Wedner, 61. Matson and Leger were in critical condition, while Wedner was in stable condition. She is the daughter of Rose Mallinger, 97, who was killed at Tree of Life.

A 40-year-old policeman was released Tuesday, according to UPMC.

Sanders said Trump spent an hour with the widow of Richard Gottfried, 65, of Ross, who was killed at Tree of Life.

"She said that she wanted to meet the president to let him know that people wanted him there," Sanders said, according to pool reports.

Bob Bauder, Megan Guza and Tom Fontaine contributed. Renatta Signorini, Natasha Lindstrom and Tom Davidson are Tribune-Review staff writers.