These photos explain the difference between Barack Obama and Donald Trump

Whenever the White House gets handed over from the Democrats to Republicans (or vice versa) after an election, there are always noticeable juxtapositions in the way that government is handled. Republicans tend to take a harder line on economic policies, for example, whereas Democrats often make waves in the realm of social change.

However, no two consecutive presidents in history have ever been as opposite as Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

The former - America's first African American leader - was hailed as a marker of progress, a highly-educated leader, and a man with genuine empathy and respect for his country. Trump, on the other hand, is known as a hard-headed businessman, a womanizer, and, by his own admission a man who wants to make America great "again" by somehow taking it back to the 'good old days'.

But the disparity between the former and current presidents never truly hit home until people began sharing images of how each one reacted to the most horrific school shootings of their respective terms.

Trump, who last year signed a measure that would make it easier for mentally ill people to purchase weapons (and yet blames mass shootings on mental health problems), visited some of the victims of the recent Parkland shooting last week.

During his visit, he appeared to be all smiles, and was even flashing a thumbs up in several pictures. A recent image of his personal notes also showed that he had to be reminded to show empathy to the victims, with one of the bullet points saying "I hear you".

In contrast, images of Obama after the Sandy Hook shooting show a man who is truly distraught at the deaths of so many young citizens. He spent the following days working, comforting families, and making tearful speeches about gun control in the country. Trump, on the other hand, went about his usual routine.

After Trump's brief visit to the hospital, many people called him out for his hypocritical behavior.

"Him coming here is absolutely absurd, and he's a hypocrite," said Mark Bogen, the vice mayor of Florida's Broward County. "How can you come here and talk about how horrible it is when you support these laws?"

He went on:

"So President Trump now, based on his actions, allows mentally ill people to purchase guns when over a year ago they could not, and then comes down here and wants to act as though this is horrible, and this shouldn't happen, but goes back to Washington and supports it.

"It is hypocrisy, it is absolute hypocrisy."

Many students who were present during the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week have since stood up to Trump and other pro-gun politicians in order to make their opinions on the matter heard.

Emma Gonzales, who has been at the forefront of the student-led campaign to regulate gun control, said at a rally this weekend:

“If the president wants to come up to me and tell me to my face that it was a terrible tragedy, and how it should never have happened, and maintain telling us how nothing is going to be done about it, I’m going to happily ask him how much money he received from the National Rifle Association."

Needless to say, Trump is still maintaining a hard line on his gun stance at present, and has even suggested that he wants to see more weapons in classrooms by arming teachers.