O'Rourke bashes president's anti-immigrant rhetoric at Phoenix campaign stop

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke greeted an enthusiastic crowd in downtown Phoenix Sunday, blaming President Donald Trump’s incendiary comments on immigration and Congress’ unwillingness to act on gun control for contributing to the mass shooting in his hometown of El Paso in August.

The three-term congressman, whose unsuccessful but competitive Senate run against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz last year made him a political star among Democrats, has not broken into the top tier of Democratic candidates vying to take on President Donald Trump in 2020.

But he electrified hundreds gathered around him at The Churchill, drawn to his message of combating climate change, fighting against income inequality and calling for mandatory buyback of assault weapons. He spoke in English and Spanish and dropped an expletive or two before heading to a campaign event in Tucson.

During the 40-minute appearance in Phoenix, where he stood in the middle of the crowd to deliver a stump speech and take questions, O'Rourke celebrated the contributions immigrants have made to the U.S., challenged those who characterize the border as unsafe and slammed Congress for failing to pass gun control measures that may prevent future mass shootings.

Read more: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/10/06/beto-orourke-seeks-capture-momentum-stops-phoenix-churchill-tucson/3869544002/