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Beto O'Rourke to march, speak against border wall during Trump rally in El Paso

The rally comes as O'Rourke enters the final stages of deliberation over a potential presidential campaign.

by Patrick Svitek Feb. 8, 20196 PM

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Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, left, and President Donald Trump will speak separately in El Paso.
Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, left, and President Donald Trump will speak separately in El Paso. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri: O'Rourke/REUTERS/Yuri Gripas: Trump

Beto O'Rourke is not shying away from the spotlight as President Donald Trump prepares to hold a rally in El Paso, the hometown of the former congressman and potential presidential candidate.

On Monday evening, O'Rourke will lead a march through the city and then speak at a "Celebration of El Paso" event at 7 p.m. local time — across the street from Trump's rally and at the same time it is set to begin, according to O'Rourke's team. The celebration, which will feature music and other speakers, is intended to highlight El Paso's strength as a binational community — and push back against Trump's long-sought border wall.

The rally comes as O'Rourke nears a decision on whether to join the Democratic race to challenge Trump in 2020 after a closer-than-expected loss to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in November. Last week, O'Rourke promised a 2020 decision by the end of the month.

Earlier Monday, O'Rourke will join his successor in Congress, Rep. Veronica Escobar, for a conference call to "denounce Trump’s campaign rally in El Paso and his fixation on a racist and useless border wall," organizers said. And on Friday evening, O'Rourke returned to his favorite blogging platform, Medium, to offer a prebuttal to Trump's trip.

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"Monday we will welcome the president to one of the safest cities in the United States," O'Rourke wrote. "Safe not because of walls, and not in spite of the fact that we are a city of immigrants. Safe because we are a city of immigrants and because we treat each other with dignity and respect."

Read related Tribune coverage

  • Beto O'Rourke says he's excited at the prospect of running for president. He'll decide this month.
  • Beto O'Rourke ran his 2018 campaign on his own terms. He's looking at 2020 the same way.
  • Saying he's in a "funk," Beto O'Rourke hits the road amid 2020 speculation

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