Kamala Harris Buys Lunch For Beto O’Rourke’s Campaign In A Show Of Solidarity After El Paso Massacre
On the heels of a massacre in El Paso, Texas that left scores dead and dozens more wounded, a number of 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls have banded together in an attempt to paint the blame on President Donald Trump.
California Sen. Kamala Harris, who has seen a recent rise in the polls, bought Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke — an El Paso, Texas native — lunch for his entire El Paso campaign headquarters’ staff.
O’Rourke’s campaign national press secretary thanked Harris for her generosity in a tweet on Tuesday, reminding followers of the importance of coming together in times of great tragedy, according to The Hill.
A lone gunman, identified as Patrick Crusius, shot and killed 22 people at an El Paso Walmart on Saturday while wounding many more. The alleged shooter turned himself into police shortly after the massacre.
Authorities said Crusius possessed a disturbing manifesto that warned of a Latino “invasion” and was filled with anti-immigration thoughts.
Because race potentially motivated his deadly attack, authorities announced that they were investigating the incident as a hate crime and later they labeled it an act of domestic terrorism.
Folks have been so kind these last few days— a good reminder of the larger fight we are up against and how we can all come together in such dark moments. Thank you to team @KamalaHarris for being so thoughtful and sending lunch to Beto HQ in El Paso. pic.twitter.com/hbbOPslV3G
— Aleigha Cavalier (@aleighacavalier) August 6, 2019
O’Rourke led the charge in placing blame on the president for the violent attacks, including one that took place in Dayton, Ohio less than 24 hours after the El Paso attack.
According to The Inquisitr, O’Rourke blasted the president during a segment on CNN’s State of the Union. O’Rourke explained to Jake Tapper that “we have to acknowledge the hatred, the open racism that we’re seeing,” and added that “there is an environment of it in the United States.”
On Tuesday, the former Texas lawmaker doubled down on his claims that Trump is a racist president, even comparing him to former President Andrew Johnson, a notorious racist.
You cannot leave it up to me. Members of the press: You too have to call him out for being the most racist president since Andrew Johnson. pic.twitter.com/bsrrth4p0K
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 6, 2019
The 2020 candidate also spoke out against Trump’s scheduled visit to his city, delivering a message that Trump wasn’t welcome there in the wake of the tragedy.
“This president, who helped create the hatred that made Saturday’s tragedy possible, should not come to El Paso,” O’Rourke said. “We do not need more division. We need to heal. He has no place here.”
Rep. Veronica Escobar, who represents El Paso and specifically the area that included the targeted Walmart, also spoke out against Trump’s upcoming visit to the city, according to Politico.
“From my perspective, he is not welcome here,” Escobar said. “He should not come here while we are in mourning.”
She also encouraged the president’s staffers to do “a little self-reflection” and show the president remarks and actions he makes at his campaign rallies.
