Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke became emotional as he told a news conference he's paused campaigning to return to his hometown of El Paso, Texas, following a shooting there, which killed at least 20 Walmart shoppers.
Details: "I’m incredibly saddened and it is very hard to think about this," the former Texas congressman said during a campaign stop in Nevada. "I’m going back there right now to be with my family and to be with my hometown." He later said there'd been a rise in hate crimes during President Trump's administration. He noted Trump has called Mexicans rapists and criminals.
President Trump's racism does not just offend our sensibilities; it fundamentally changes the character of this country. And it leads to violence. pic.twitter.com/SbuxGneFnh
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 4, 2019
Go deeper:
- El Paso shooting: 2020 hopefuls back gun control, blame NRA and Trump
- In photos: Shooting sparks chaos at El Paso Walmart and shopping mall
- The deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history
This article has been updated with O'Rourke's comments on Trump.
