2020 candidate Beto O’Rourke said President Trump should not visit El Paso in the aftermath of the mass shooting that took place over the weekend because he is responsible for the tragedy.
O’Rourke, who represented his hometown of El Paso when he was in Congress, tweeted on Monday, “We need to heal. He has no place here.”
This president, who helped create the hatred that made Saturday’s tragedy possible, should not come to El Paso. We do not need more division. We need to heal. He has no place here.
— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 5, 2019
O’Rourke blamed Trump’s rhetoric for the shooting that killed 22 people because a manifesto that was appears to have been written by the shooter said he wanted to stop the “Hispanic invasion of Texas.” In the same screed, the shooter said beliefs “predate Trump and his campaign.”
O’Rourke said on Sunday, “We see it on Fox News, we see it on the internet, but we also see it from our commander-in-chief. He is encouraging this. He doesn’t just tolerate it, he encourages it, calling immigrants rapists and criminals, warning of an invasion on our border, seeking to ban all people of one religion.”
You cannot leave it up to me. Members of the press: You too have to call him out for being the most racist president since Andrew Johnson. pic.twitter.com/bsrrth4p0K
— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 6, 2019
El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said despite getting angry phone calls and emails for deciding to meet with Trump when he visits on Wednesday, he will go through with it so they can have a conversation on the city’s needs.
