Some officials openly pressured Trump not to visit southern Texas for fear of inciting further violence and disrespect for social detachment and wearing masks. The Rio Grande Valley has consistently been one of the areas of Texas hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with a recent increase in hospitalizations.
“[S]uch a public event can trigger similar conduct and further affect the current serious COVID-19 crisis located in Cameron County and the Rio Grande Valley, ”said Eddie Treviño Jr., judge in Cameron’s neighboring county, Tuesday morning. market.
Trump’s visit marks the first time he has gone out in public since the deadly Capitol riots. Trump told reporters before boarding his plane to Alamo that he did not want violence and praised the controversial border wall for making “a tremendous difference on the southern border”.
James Darling, mayor of the nearby town of McAllen, said you understand “That emotions are high on both sides”, but he also called for peaceful demonstrations.
“Passions are dangerously high among President Trump’s supporters and opponents,” said Judge Richard Cortez of Hidalgo County before Trump’s trip to the area. “I ask both sides to keep these passions under control, because, ultimately, the Rio Grande Valley has a unique opportunity to demonstrate to the world that peaceful public discourse is much more effective than public violence.”
Still, protesters from across the political spectrum were expected to be in southern Texas to express support for and against Trump.
GOP members from Hidalgo County were “calling all conservatives, patriots and freedom fighters” on Facebook and Twitter to welcome Trump to the poster border area.
LUPE, a non-profit organization founded by rural workers and civil rights leaders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, announced that it would host a rally against Trump and white supremacy. The group criticized local officials for not having a stronger message against Trump’s visit.
“This failure of leadership will now result in white supremacists assembling freely on our streets. We condemn this lack of leadership. Should any violence occur on Tuesday, all civil servants who did nothing to prevent this visit will be held responsible for not responding to community concerns, “the group wrote in a statement.
While President-elect Joe Biden comfortably won the majority-Latin county where Trump is visiting, Hidalgo County is one of the areas in southern Texas where Trump made his most significant improvements in the 2020 election. Trump increased his numbers there by more than 23 percent compared to 2016, but still lost 17 percent.