The El Paso County Coliseum nestled a couple of feet from the US-Mexico border erupted with chants of "build the wall" on Monday night as a frantic arena of supporters were charged up by US President Donald Trump's charisma
EL PASO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) The El Paso County Coliseum nestled a couple of feet from the US-Mexico border erupted with chants of "build the wall" on Monday night as a frantic arena of supporters were charged up by US President Donald Trump's charisma.
"You know where it [the wall] made a big difference? Right here in El Paso," Trump said addressing the crowd.
The US president added that "as an example, from where we stand right now, on the other side of the border, it's one of the most dangerous cities in the world: [Ciudad] Juarez, Mexico ... Yet thanks to a powerful border wall in El Paso, Texas, it's one of America's safest cities now ... walls work."
El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, who is a Republican, disputed the president's claims, along with other local community leaders, that the border wall was a key reason for making El Paso one of the safest cities in the nation. On February 5, after Trump's State of the Union Address, Margo said, that "El Paso was never one of the most dangerous cities in the US. We've had a fence for 10 years and it has impacted illegal immigration and curbed criminal activity. It is not the sole deterrent. Law enforcement in our community continues to keep us safe."
Trump highlighted that Juarez had 1,200 murders in 2018, while El Paso only had 23. Ciudad Juarez has had a long history of cartel-related violence due to the corridors criminal organizations fight over in turf wars on the border in order to control vital drug routes.
Trump's El Paso campaign rally echoed his comments from the State of the Union Address and featured no breaking announcements. He touted about the US economy, the ongoing trade talks with China, energy security, improving relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, drawing down troops from Syria and reaching a potential deal in the Afghan peace talks.
However, Trump specifically put the emphasis on border security as it comes on the heels of a record-breaking government shutdown due to a dispute over his requested $5.7 billion border wall funding that Democrats in Congress have refused to support.
US lawmakers and Trump temporarily re-opened the Federal government for a three-week period until February 15 to negotiate a deal on border security. Failure to reach a compromise by Friday could trigger another government shutdown.
"I have to tell you, as I was walking up to the stage, they said that progress is being made with this committee, just so you know, we're building the wall anyway," Trump said.
The 6,500-capacity arena, which normally sells out for concerts or rodeos, was at full capacity for the US president's first campaign rally of 2019. In addition to those inside, about 6,000 Trump supporters watched the rally on a big screen outside the facility, according to an El Paso County Coliseum official.
The arena was a sea of red, white and blue attire flooded with red "Make America Great Again" hats and "Build the Wall" signs.
Anti-Trump protesters in the crowd halted Trump's speech about five times as they were at times aggressively handled by some supports and escorted out by security. At one point a Trump supporter leaped into the media section and knocked over several cameras and equipment.
Adjacent to the El Paso County Coliseum was a baseball field where former US Congressman and Senate Candidate Beto O'Rourke, who narrowly lost to Ted Cruz, participated in a rally with other community leaders to strike down Trump's claims that the border wall plays a key role in the safety of the city.
During the rally, Trump told the crowd that only 200 people attended the community rally, however, the El Paso Police Department determined that 10,000 to 15,000 people attended the event.
Many local residents in El Paso were disappointed when Trump during his State of the Union Address claimed the city was dangerous before the current border fencing was built. Many residents say the city has always been safe and Trump's comments were false.
"Safe not because of walls, but in spite of walls, secure because we treat one another with dignity and respect, that is the way we make our communities and our country safe," O'Rourke said. "We are the example that the United States of America needs right now."
O'Rourke gained a lot of attention in his close loss to Cruz in the 2018 midterm election and has been expected to throw in a bid in for a presidential run in 2020.
