Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) reacted with shock and horror to President Donald Trump deflecting blame for a mass shooting in her hometown.
A gunman who echoed Trump's language about an "invasion" of Hispanic immigrants opened fire Saturday at a Walmart in El Paso, killing at least 20 people and wounding more than two dozen others, and Escobar said the president was directly responsible.
"All of this has happened because Hispanic people have been dehumanized," Escobar told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "They have been dehumanized by the president, by his enablers, by other politicians. This is one of the lowest points in American history, and if we don't recognize this as such we will not have the turning point that we so desperately need as a country."
MSNBC analyst Mike Barnicle read a tweet from the president aloud to Escobar, moments after it was posted, and a look of disgust passed across her face as she heard that Trump had blamed the media for mass shootings.
"From my perspective he is not welcome here," she said. "He should not come here while we are in mourning. This is one of the sites of one of his rallies. I heard Mika (Brzezinski) earlier mention that violence increased -- statistically hate crimes went up in communities where he had held rallies. He came in to one of the safest communities in the nation and, as a result or maybe not as a result, that is probably unfair, but months later a gunman came in to our community, someone from outside of this community came into this beautiful, tranquil, loving place to do us harm."
"I would encourage the president's staff members to have him do a little self-reflection," Escobar added. "I would encourage them to show him his own words and his actions at the rallies, because we're not going to get past this until there's acknowledgment from the very top that we need to heal, that this whole country is hurting. That there has been bigotry and racism and hatred that has been stoked at all levels, and as the president, he has the most significant authority and responsibility to show this country, to lead this country into healing, and now is the time and he needs to accept responsibility, everyone does, for what has gotten us to this point."
