Two-month-old Paul Anchondo was orphaned by Saturday’s mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
Both his parents, Andre and Jordan Anchondo, reportedly died shielding him. Paul, himself, broke some of his fingers and was hospitalized.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump held a thumbs-up pose while taking a photo with the baby during a visit to the University Medical Center of El Paso. Media were not allowed inside the hospital during the president’s trip.
The picture was later posted to Melania Trump’s Twitter account and prompted widespread criticism, with many calling it a “photo-op.”
David Alandete, a reporter with Spanish newspaper ABC, noted that the baby had been discharged from the hospital but was brought back for Trump’s visit at the request of the White House.
The baby’s uncle, Tito Anchondo, who is standing beside Trump in the photo, told NPR his brother was “supportive” of the president.
“I think people are misconstruing President Trump’s ideas,” he said.
WATCH: Trump says they visited El Paso shooting survivors longer than expected
Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported, none of the eight victims still recovering at the hospital agreed to meet Trump.
While some local politicians agreed to meet Trump during his visits to El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, which saw a mass shooting hours after Texas, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar did not.
The Texas representative tweeted that she had asked for a conversation with the president following the attack, but that request was denied.
“I refuse to join without a dialogue because I refuse to be an accessory to his visit,” she explained.
In an interview with MSNBC on Thursday, Escobar said Trump has not adequately addressed the alleged shooter’s racist manifesto, which is a “missed opportunity for reconciliation.”
“My community, unfortunately, has been nothing but a prop for Donald Trump,” she said during the interview.
Criticism of Trump’s visits to Dayton and El Paso also extended beyond his photo with the orphaned baby.
WATCH: White House says it’s ‘ridiculous’ to blame El Paso shooting on Trump
In a video obtained by CBS News, Trump bragged about the crowd sizes at his political rallies while meeting with medical professionals in El Paso.
Trump brought up his campaign rally in the city earlier this year, maintaining he had twice the number of attendees outside the arena as inside. He also took a swipe at Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, saying “he had, like, 400 people in a parking lot” at a counter-rally.
According to The Guardian, some doctors from the hospital said the president “lacked empathy” during the visit.
Trump was also greeted by protesters in both cities.
Outside Dayton’s Miami Valley Hospital, at least 200 protesters gathered, blaming Trump’s incendiary rhetoric for inflaming political and racial tensions in the country and demanding action on gun control.
In El Paso, Trump’s motorcade passed protesters holding “Racist Go Home” signs.
Trump himself tweeted that the visits went well, and that the media “worked overtime trying to disparage me and the two trips.”
“The love, respect & enthusiasm were there for all to see. They have been through so much. Sad!” he said.
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