The top congressional leaders from both parties declined an invitation from the White House to join President Trump
Donald John TrumpTrump officials considering using court-ordered removals to deport migrant families: report Dem senator calls for Senate to investigate Giuliani's planned Ukraine trip Ocasio-Cortez says 'vote your values' after finding Trump supporter sign outside office MORE on Tuesday in Pittsburgh in the wake of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Both House Speaker Paul Ryan
Paul Davis RyanEx-Trump adviser says GOP needs a better health-care message for 2020 Liz Cheney faces a big decision on her future Trump meets Foxconn CEO over plans for Wisconsin factory MORE (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse Dems reintroduce bill to protect elections from cyberattacks The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump takes gamble on new China tariffs Did senators forget that Trump Jr. answered the questions already? MORE (R-Ky.) were unable to make the trip due to scheduling conflicts, with Ryan's office noting he wasn't able to make it on such short notice. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro PelosiOvernight Defense — Presented by Huntington Ingalls Industries — Pentagon approves transfer of .5B to border wall | Dems blast move | House Dem pushes Pelosi to sue over Trump's Yemen veto There is a looming constitutional crisis but it's not about Mueller report redactions Yemen resolution sponsor pushing Pelosi to sue over Trump veto MORE (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer
Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerCall Trump's tax cut what it was: Keynesian Trump will 'hang tough' on China, political fallout be damned Do Democrats really want to see the unredacted special counsel report? MORE (D-N.Y.) also decided not to attend.
The declined invites were first reported by CNN.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump are slated to visit Pittsburgh on Tuesday, just days after Saturday's shooting.
The mayor of Pittsburgh on Monday evening suggested that the president choose a different time to visit the city rather than the day of the first of 11 funerals for the victims of the shooting.
“I do believe that it would be best to put the attention on the families this week and if he were to visit choose a different time to be able to do it,” Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto (D) told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “Our focus as a city will be on the families and the outreach they will need this week and the support they’ll need to get through it.”
Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Monday night that he was going to visit the city to pay his respects.
“I’m also going to the hospital to see the officers and some of the people that were so badly hurt,” Trump said. “I really look forward to going. I would have done it even sooner, but I didn’t want to disrupt anymore than they already had disruption.”
His visit to the city has been met with some backlash. A group of progressive Jewish leaders penned an open letter on Sunday telling the president he is not welcome until he denounces white nationalism.
More than 57,000 people have signed a petition from the group, the Pittsburgh affiliate of Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, telling Trump he's not welcome in the city.
But the rabbi at Tree of Life said that Trump is “always welcome.”
“I’m a citizen. He's my president. He is certainly welcome,” Rabbi Jeffrey Myers said Monday.
Morgan Gstalter and Jordain Carney contributed
