Dayton Mayor Whaley says she wasn’t invited to White House to honor police officers

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said she wasn’t allowed to come to the White House ceremony on Monday when President Donald Trump honored six of the city’s police officers for their heroism during the Oregon District mass shooting.

“We were told our presence wasn’t requested at that on Monday,” Whaley said in a CNN interview Tuesday. A White House spokesman didn’t immediately reply to the Dayton Daily News’ request for comment about Whaley’s claim.

Whaley said she is “proud” and “grateful” the officers received the Medal of Valor.

Nine people were killed and 27 more were injured during the Aug. 4 shooting. The six Dayton officers engaged and killed the shooter in less than 30 seconds, preventing what could have been many more deaths.

The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor is the highest decoration for bravery exhibited by public safety officers in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The six officers honored by Trump were Sgt. William C. Knight and officers Brian Rolfes, Jeremy Campbell, Vincent Carter, Ryan Nabel, David Denlinger.

The same officers were honored by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, in a Monday evening ceremony at the U.S. Capitol that Whaley attended.

Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl attended. Republicans Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Ohio Attorney Gen. Dave Yost and others were in attendance for the Medal of Valor ceremony.

Whaley, a Democrat, and President Trump have a frosty relationship.

Trump visited Dayton on Aug. 7 to visit shooting victims and first responders at Miami Valley Hospital. After, Trump claimed Whaley and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, were “misrepresenting what took place inside” the hospital. The press weren’t allowed to witness Trump’s visit with the victims.

Trump said Whaley and Brown’s press conference “bore no resemblance to what took place with those incredible people that I was so lucky to meet and spend time with.”

In fact, Whaley said during that press conference, “I think the victims and the first responders were grateful that the President of the United States came to Dayton.”

After the president’s comments, Whaley called Trump a “bully” and “coward.”

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