Beto O’Rourke: ‘This country was founded on white supremacy’

While speaking with immigrants and refugees in Nashville, presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said the United States was founded on white supremacy and “every single structure” reflects the nation’s legacy of racism.

“Here we are in Nashville, I know this from my home state of Texas, those places that formed the Confederacy, that this country was founded on white supremacy and every single institution and structure that we have in our country still reflects the legacy of the slavery and segregation and Jim Crow and suppression, even in our democracy,” the former Texas congressman said on Monday.

During the same discussion, O’Rourke also said it has not been just Republican presidents who have deported illegal immigrants.

“We also have to admit that Democratic presidents have used ICE raids mercilessly. Whatever the motivation, it instilled fear and broke up families,” he said. Because of the country’s history of slavery, O’Rourke said he “absolutely” supports reparations.

While O’Rourke entered the crowded Democratic field with a lot hype and hopes to be the front-runner, he has dropped in the polls. RealClearPolitics shows his average polling is at 2.6%

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