Just days after a white supremacist struck the border town of El Paso, Texas, killing 22 people and injuring many others, Donald Trump looked to pay a visit to the 8 surviving victims that are still hospitalized—but they all outright refused to meet with him.
@noticiastelemundo
A controversial trip
Trump’s trip to El Paso was met with massive protests and intense criticism. Over the past few years, Trump has constantly berated the city and used it as a prop for his political gain, targeting it on numerous occasions in his anti-immigration rhetoric. Many consider that Trump’s irresponsible and racist language has created the conditions for politically-motivated shootings to occur in the first place, as he’s legitimized the hateful ideas of white supremacists across America.
The El Paso shooter, a white man in his 20s, posted a 4-page anti-immigrant manifesto prior to the shooting. He arrived at El Paso to specifically target migrants as he decried what he called the “Hispanic invasion of Texas.” It’s been pointed out that Trump and the shooter have used disturbingly similar language to refer to immigrants in the past.
@noticiastelemundo
Enabling racism
Trump has (in)famously demonized immigrants to appeal to his base and gain momentum for his agenda through controversy. This has tragically contributed to the dangerous polarization of America and has empowered white supremacists to come out of their hiding holes and do actual damage to the country, most recently shown in the El Paso shooting. So, it’s no surprise that residents of the border city weren’t actually willing to welcome the president on his ill-timed presidential visit.
Christopher Bailey, a project coordinator for a health clinic at El Paso, told The New York Times that
“Absolutely everything that Trump stands for was concentrated and fired at the citizens of El Paso that day at Walmart. Shame should be hung around the neck for every supporter that continues to justify his language and his presidency.”
Others argued that Trump should not have come to the city at this time. “It’s his words that created the climate that led that hateful man to come to my community,” said Lyda Ness-Garcia, on of the organizers for the El Paso Women’s March.
Concerned citizens are calling for Trump to acknowledge his responsibility in fueling hatred throughout America and to apologize for his rhetoric, including Representative Veronica Escobar, who represents El Paso in Congress. “I have publicly said he has a responsibility to acknowledge the power of his words, apologize for them, and take them back because they are still hanging over us,” Escobar wrote.
Take a look at these other articles:
Mueller’s Testimony Decidedly Confirms That His Report DID NOT Exonerate Trump
How Latinos Have Endured One Hundred Years Of Immigration Raids
Trump Threatens Retaliation Against Guatemala After Immigration Agreement Fails
