President Trump addressed critics of his rhetoric in the aftermath of the El Paso shooting while speaking to reporters on Wednesday morning.
A number of people have suggested the president is culpable in the attack that left over 20 dead after a man opened fire at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas on Saturday. The alleged shooter’s manifesto was anti-immigrant and used the word “invasion,” which the president has used as well.
“It’s a difficult time in our country from all of us, so from your heart, from your mind, what do you say to your critics who believe that your rhetoric that is emboldening white nationalists and firing this anger?” a reporter asked.
“So my critics are political people, they’re trying to make points. In many cases they’re running for president and they’re very low in the polls,” Trump answered. “A couple of them in particular, very low in the polls. If you look at Dayton, that was a person who supported I guess you would say Bernie Sanders, I understood, Antifa, I understood. Elizabeth Warren I understood. It has nothing to do with President Trump. So these are people that are looking for political gain.”
The comment was likely directed at former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, whom he attacked on social media earlier in the day.
Beto (phony name to indicate Hispanic heritage) O’Rourke, who is embarrassed by my last visit to the Great State of Texas, where I trounced him, and is now even more embarrassed by polling at 1% in the Democrat Primary, should respect the victims & law enforcement – & be quiet!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2019
Trump tweeted, “Beto (phony name to indicate Hispanic heritage) O’Rourke, who is embarrassed by my last visit to the Great State of Texas, where I trounced him, and is now even more embarrassed by polling at 1% in the Democrat Primary, should respect the victims & law enforcement – & be quiet!”
O’Rourke came out and slammed the president for his rhetoric. The 2020 hopeful accused both the commander in chief and Fox News of “open racism” in the aftermath of the shooting.
The president later added, “We’ve been getting hit left and right from everybody. Many of the people I don’t know, a couple of people from Texas, political people from Texas that aren’t doing very well. I guess somebody said to the mayor I had one very nice conversation with the mayor of Dayton, could not have been nicer and then she goes and says I tried to call and spoke to her and I didn’t receive any call.”
