Trump, O’Rourke face off

US president took border wall fight to the border, but Democrat politician was waiting

PRESIDENT Donald Trump charged ahead with his pledge to build a wall at the US-Mexico border, skimming over the details of lawmakers’ tentative deal that would give him far less than he’s been demanding and declaring he’s “setting the stage” to deliver on his signature campaign promise.

In the first duelling rallies of the 2020 campaign season, Trump’s “Finish the Wall” rally in El Paso went head-to-head on Monday night against counter-programming by Beto O’Rourke, a former Democratic congressman and potential Trump rival in 2020, who argued that walls cause more problems than they solve.

The rallies across the street from each other served as a preview of the heated years-long fight over the direction of the country. And they made clear that Trump’s long-promised border wall is sure to play an out-sized role in the presidential race, as both sides use it to try to rally their supporters and highlight their contrasting approaches.

Standing in a packed stadium under a giant American flag and banners saying “Finish the Wall”, Trump insisted that large portions of the project were already under construction and vowed to fulfil his 2016 campaign promise regardless of what happens in Congress.

“Walls work,” said Trump, whose rally was repeatedly interrupted by protesters. “Walls save lives.”

O’Rourke, meanwhile, held a counter-march with dozens of local civic, human rights and Hispanic groups in his home town, followed by a protest rally attended by thousands on a baseball field within shouting distance from the arena where Trump spoke.

“With the eyes of the country on us, all of us together are going to make our stand here in one of the safest cities in America,” O’Rourke said.

“Safe not because of walls but in spite of walls.”

The rallies began moments after negotiators on Capitol Hill announced that Republicans had tentatively agreed to far less money for Trump’s border wall than the White House’s $5.7 billion wish list, settling for a figure of nearly $1.4bn, according to congressional aides. The funding measure is through the fiscal year, which ends on September 30.

Three people familiar with Congress’ tentative border security deal have said the accord would provide $1.375bn to build 90km of new border barriers – well below the $5.7bn that Trump demanded to build 320km of wall along the Mexican boundary. The money will be for vertical steel slats called bollards, not a solid wall.

The talks had cratered over the weekend because of Democratic demands to limit immigrant detentions by federal authorities, but lawmakers apparently broke through that impasse on Monday evening. Now they will need the support of Trump, who must sign the legislation.

But Trump appeared oblivious to the deal, saying he’d been informed by aides that negotiators had made some progress but that he had declined to be fully briefed because he wanted to go on stage.

Trump, who has been threatening to declare a national emergency to bypass Congress, added, “Just so you know, we’re building the wall anyway.”

The counter march began at a high school a kilometre from the baseball field in the shadow of Trump’s rally, its participants streaming past part of the border and the towering metal slats lining it. Marchers waved handmade signs reading “Fire the Liar”, ‘’Hate Is Not What Makes America Great” and “Make Tacos, Not Walls”. They changed “No wall!” and “Beto! Beto! Beto!” |