Trump to visit El Paso — even though he's been told not to and still owes them money

Trump is scheduled to visit El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday as the community there continues to grieve over the lives lost to the domestic terrorist espousing Trump’s brand of bigotry.

Some 80% of the city’s population is Latino and Trump only received 26% of the vote there in 2016. Since then, Trump has increased his bigoted rhetoric and used the presidency to push a host of racist policies.

“From my perspective, he is not welcome here,” Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) said in a television appearance on Monday. “He has told the country that we are people to be feared, people to be hated.”

“This president, who helped create the hatred that made Saturday’s tragedy possible, should not come to El Paso. We do not need more division. We need to heal. He has no place here,” said former Texas representative and Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke. O’Rourke represented El Paso in Congress.

Residents of the state from both sides of the aisle opposed Trump’s February visit to El Paso to host a campaign rally, criticizing him for using the city for yet another push for his racist border wall.

Trump repeatedly lied about the region, falsely claiming that the erection of a border wall was responsible for a drop in their “extremely high rates of violent crime.”

Trump’s reelection campaign owes the city $569,204 for services related to his rally. Trump’s bill was originally $470,417 but the city added on a 20% late fee in June as he continued to stiff them.

“Local officials have repeatedly harangued Trump for not covering the costs associated with his visit to the border city, with some contrasting his actions with those of Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, who visited his hometown for a rally on the same day and has since paid his dues,” the Texas Tribune reported.

Trump has a tradition of visiting grieving cities where he is not welcome.

Last year, after an anti-Semitic shooter murdered members of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Trump was asked to stay away by city leaders.

He went anyway and pointedly avoided interacting with groups that have criticized him and his supporters for encouraging anti-Semitism.

Trump was never welcome in El Paso and he owes them money — but he won’t take no for an answer.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.