Democrats say Trump’s “racism” fuels violence
"He is a racist and fuels racism in this country, and not only offends our sensitivity, he fundamentally changes the character of this country and leads to violence," said Beto O'Rourke
Democrats say Trump's "racism" fuels violence in the US Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke makes an interview across the street from the site of a mass shooting at Walmart in El Paso, Texas, USA. UU. UU., August 4, 2019. EFE / EPA / LARRY W. SMITH
EFE
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Several White House Democratic candidates in 2020 pointed to "racism" and their condescension with the "white supremacism" of US President Donald Trump, as one of the causes behind the shooting of El Paso on Saturday, which left 20 dead and 26 injured.
Leer en español: Demócratas afirman que "racismo" de Trump alimenta la violencia
"He is a racist and fuels racism in this country, and not only offends our sensibility, he fundamentally changes the character of this country and leads to violence," said Beto O'Rourke, a former congressman from Texas after visiting wounded in hospitals in El Paso.
O'Rourke, born precisely in the city, remarked that in the US there has been an increase in "hate crimes in the three years of an Administration where you have a president who has called 'rapists' and 'criminals', although Mexican immigrants commit crimes at a much lower rate than those born in the country ".
"The president has tried to make us feel scared for them," he said in statements to reporters, after canceling his campaigning in Nevada to return to El Paso.
Likewise, the mayor of South Bend (Indiana) and also a candidate for the Democratic presidential candidacy, Pete Buttigieg, charged rhetoric from the White House.
"White nationalism is malefic, and it is inspiring people to commit murders, and it is being condoned at the highest levels of the US government," he said in an interview on CNN.
Shortly after, he said that "the president of the United States is condoning white nationalism" and said he has "a responsibility to cut the outbreak at the root."
On the other hand, Senator Bernie Sanders, also a contender for the candidacy, avoided blaming Trump but said that "around the world they are wondering what happens in the US (…) to see once after other indescribable horrors," for which called for "sensible legislation on gun control."
The US authorities are investigating the possible link of the suspect in the El Paso massacre with a manifesto published on the internet that criticizes "the Hispanic invasion of Texas."
Read also: Suburban women recoil as Trump dives into racial politics
"Right now we have a manifesto of this individual that indicates a possible hate crime," said El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen.
The president wrote on his Twitter account on Sunday that the El Paso shooting "was not only tragic, it was an act of cowardice."
El Paso is an American city bordering Mexico with about 700,000 inhabitants and, according to census data, more than 80% of the population is of Hispanic origin.
The shopping center where the shooting took place is very close to the border with Mexico and is very popular among Mexican citizens as a place of purchase during weekends.
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, confirmed that three Mexican citizens are among those killed and at least six among the injured.
