President Trump responded to criticism late Tuesday night from former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas). O’Rourke has repeatedly lashed out at the president in the wake of a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
“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!” Trump tweeted.
The president’s post came shortly after O’Rourke, a 2020 presidential contender, announced he would be attending an event on Wednesday to pay tribute to the shooting victims and counter Trump’s visit to the city.
“When President Trump comes to El Paso tomorrow, I will be joining our strong, beautiful, binational community at #ElPasoStrong. I hope to see you there,” O’Rourke tweeted earlier Tuesday night.
In response to Trump’s tweet, O’Rourke said, “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.”
The El Paso native had previously run a competitive race against Sen. Ted Cruz (R) in 2018. He has garnered new interest in recent days after a moment that went viral in the wake of the mass shooting on Saturday at a Walmart. When he was asked by a reporter what Trump should do to prevent more mass shootings, a seemingly exasperated O’Rourke responded, “What do you think? You know the shit he’s been saying. He’s been calling Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals. I don’t know, like, members of the press, what the f—?”
The response was widely celebrated by liberals in the media, pointing to the growing frustration many on the left feel about how the press has been portraying Trump in the wake of the shooting. O’Rourke has doubled down since then, comparing the Trump administration to the Third Reich.
Trump condemned white nationalism and racism in an address on Monday morning, but that has done little to quell the anger. On Wednesday he will visit both El Paso and Dayton, where he’s likely to receive a chilly, if not outright hostile, reception.
Earlier on Tuesday, O’Rourke said on CNN that the media can’t let Trump get off “scot-free” for his actions.
“This is the most racist President we’ve had since perhaps Andrew Johnson, in another age and another century, and he is responsible for the hatred and the violence that we’re seeing right now,” he said on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time.”
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