Trump, O’Rourke clash on Twitter ahead of President’s visit to El Paso
Hours before President Donald Trump was set to head to El Paso, he called out former El Paso Congressman and presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke on Twitter.
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
O’Rourke responded to the tweet:
22 people in my hometown are dead after an act of terror inspired by your racism. El Paso will not be quiet and neither will I. https://t.co/dakFPKj0vJ
— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 7, 2019
O’Rourke has criticized Trump blaming the president’s rhetoric as a motivator behind the El Paso shooting and called on him to not visit the city. A manifesto allegedly written by the suspected shooter Patrick Crusius said he held his racist and white supremacist beliefs before President Trump was elected.
Some of the language of the manifesto reflects ideas from President Trump. For example, the document warns of a “Hispanic invasion” and says Democrats are using “open borders” and “free healthcare for illegals” to attract new voters.
The President’s tweet comes a day after he called for unity during an address to the nation.
