by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
Back in early February Donald Trump went before Congress to give his annual State of the Union message. That speech, in which he was angling for support and money to build his vanity wall along the U.S. southern border, featured a couple of digs at the city of El Paso, Texas, the hometown of Democratic presidential contender, Beto O'Rourke, whom Trump regarded as one of his more formidable opponents at that time. In that speech Trump described El Paso as being one of America's "most dangerous cities" with an "extremely high crime rate" - before a border wall had been installed within the city limits.
Trump deliberately painted a false portrait of El Paso which actually has a low crime rate and prides itself on being one of America's safest large cities. The good people of that good city were not amused.
A few days later Donald Trump descended on El Paso for a large "Build the Wall" campaign rally at the El Past County Coliseum. Beto O'Rourke held a smaller counter-rally a few blocks away. After Trump's MAGA-palooza, he flew back to Washington, DC, and left the city to clean up the mess and pay police and other public safety officials their overtime due for providing protection and services to the political event. The city gave the Trump campaign a bill for $470,417.05 to cover the money it had to spend to serve and protect the event. The campaign ignored the bill, and after thirty days a late fee was added. The Trump campaign now owes the city of El Paso $569,204.63.
Beto O'Rourke was charged $21,002 for services for his counter-rally. To no one's surprise, O'Rourke paid his bill.
Some, of course, would argue that Donald Trump owes the community of El Paso far more than the half-million dollars that is already on the books. They would point out that Trump's divisive rhetoric on the subject of immigration and his talk of an "invasion" of foreigners on US soil was a prime motivator of the young white man who murdered 22 people at an El Paso Walmart last Saturday. Those people would be quick to describe Donald John Trump as a racist who routinely incites racial discord and violence in an effort to keep his political base angry and active.
Twenty-two people died in El Paso on Saturday, and at least 25 more suffered injuries. Some people are still waiting to be notified if their missing relatives are among the dead.
Now Donald Trump is condemning racism and white nationalism, but at his core his is still Donald Trump. His supporters recognize the need for him to speak in reasonable tones, and they also know that soon, very soon, Trump will be back to his old race-baiting self.
And as a part of Trump's new found interest in civil rights and civil discourse, he has announced that he will fly to El Paso tomorrow to address the suffering and grieving community. The mayor responded, cooly, that she, as mayor, would officially welcome him, as president, to address the bloodied border city.
Beto O'Rourke, on the other hand, has flat-out called Donald Trump a racist and said that he should stay away from El Paso. Veronica Escobar, who now represents O'Rourke's old district in Congress, has also said that Trump should not come to El Paso.
But nobody tells Donald John Trump where he can and cannot go.
Maybe he will at least have the decency to drop off a check for his last visit while he is there - but probably not. "Decency" has never been Trump's strong suit.
Citizen Journalist
Back in early February Donald Trump went before Congress to give his annual State of the Union message. That speech, in which he was angling for support and money to build his vanity wall along the U.S. southern border, featured a couple of digs at the city of El Paso, Texas, the hometown of Democratic presidential contender, Beto O'Rourke, whom Trump regarded as one of his more formidable opponents at that time. In that speech Trump described El Paso as being one of America's "most dangerous cities" with an "extremely high crime rate" - before a border wall had been installed within the city limits.
Trump deliberately painted a false portrait of El Paso which actually has a low crime rate and prides itself on being one of America's safest large cities. The good people of that good city were not amused.
A few days later Donald Trump descended on El Paso for a large "Build the Wall" campaign rally at the El Past County Coliseum. Beto O'Rourke held a smaller counter-rally a few blocks away. After Trump's MAGA-palooza, he flew back to Washington, DC, and left the city to clean up the mess and pay police and other public safety officials their overtime due for providing protection and services to the political event. The city gave the Trump campaign a bill for $470,417.05 to cover the money it had to spend to serve and protect the event. The campaign ignored the bill, and after thirty days a late fee was added. The Trump campaign now owes the city of El Paso $569,204.63.
Beto O'Rourke was charged $21,002 for services for his counter-rally. To no one's surprise, O'Rourke paid his bill.
Some, of course, would argue that Donald Trump owes the community of El Paso far more than the half-million dollars that is already on the books. They would point out that Trump's divisive rhetoric on the subject of immigration and his talk of an "invasion" of foreigners on US soil was a prime motivator of the young white man who murdered 22 people at an El Paso Walmart last Saturday. Those people would be quick to describe Donald John Trump as a racist who routinely incites racial discord and violence in an effort to keep his political base angry and active.
Twenty-two people died in El Paso on Saturday, and at least 25 more suffered injuries. Some people are still waiting to be notified if their missing relatives are among the dead.
Now Donald Trump is condemning racism and white nationalism, but at his core his is still Donald Trump. His supporters recognize the need for him to speak in reasonable tones, and they also know that soon, very soon, Trump will be back to his old race-baiting self.
And as a part of Trump's new found interest in civil rights and civil discourse, he has announced that he will fly to El Paso tomorrow to address the suffering and grieving community. The mayor responded, cooly, that she, as mayor, would officially welcome him, as president, to address the bloodied border city.
Beto O'Rourke, on the other hand, has flat-out called Donald Trump a racist and said that he should stay away from El Paso. Veronica Escobar, who now represents O'Rourke's old district in Congress, has also said that Trump should not come to El Paso.
But nobody tells Donald John Trump where he can and cannot go.
Maybe he will at least have the decency to drop off a check for his last visit while he is there - but probably not. "Decency" has never been Trump's strong suit.
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