Suzanne Rogers, family faces backlash for posing in photo with Donald Trump

Suzanne Rogers and her husband Edward, who is the chair of the board of directors of Rogers Communications, are facing backlash after they posed for a photo with former U.S. President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-lago Resort recently.

The image was posted to Instagram by Suzanne Rogers earlier this week with the caption “A special way to end the night!” In the photo, she is seen standing next to Trump, as are her husband and two children.

Trump is seen smiling, while giving a “thumbs up.”

“So we have Suzanne Rivers on the board of @sickkids hanging out with the President who hampered Canadian vaccine efforts, N95 (sic) mask distribution in Canada and attacked Canadian trade with wrongful tariffs on Canadian steel,” one tweet reads in reaction to the photo.

Others echo concerns about the Rogers chair and his family “mingling” with Trump, just months after he was found to have incited violence at the Capitol building in January.

Since the backlash, the photo is no longer available and Suzanne has since issued a statement.

In it, she says she has always believed in equality, diversity, inclusiveness and respect for all.

“They are important in all aspects of society, especially in fashion,” the philanthropist and Canadian fashion supporter writes.

“I have been honoured to do a small part to help some fashion students and alumni get a chance to learn, create and have some help to start a business in Canada. The Suzanne Rogers fashion institute, at Ryerson University, is a true reflection of diversity in Canadian fashion.”

She says she doesn’t have any kind of relationship with Trump and had never met him before that night.

“Our family’s interaction with President Trump was mere seconds at the end of dinner, as we were leaving,” her statement adds. “No political statement, on any policy, was intended by the photograph. Taking and posting it was done without considering the false assumptions and implications that would be made about my personal beliefs.”

The statement ends with Suzanne saying she regrets that her actions “caused anyone to question my values or commitment to the communities and causes my family and I hold so dear.”

However, her efforts to address the controversy have also been met with mixed reaction.

“The Suzanne Rogers statement is almost more troubling than the pics she posted,” writes one Twitter user. “How can you not realize that you are making a statement posting pictures (captioned “a special way to end the night”) with a man who spewed hate, was impeached twice & incited a violent insurrection?”

The Suzanne Rogers statement is almost more troubling than the pics she posted. How can you not realize that you are making a statement posting pictures (captioned “a special way to end the night”) with a man who spewed hate, was impeached twice & incited a violent insurrection?

— Christopher Turner (@Turnstylin) May 4, 2021

“The Suzanne Rogers controversy demonstrates how the rich get richer: unwavering capitalist class solidarity. In their eyes all money is good, ipso facto all rich people are good. Even Trump,” reads another post.

https://twitter.com/iancapstick/status/1389711210837331977

Rogers is the parent company of this station.