EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — As the Democratic National Convention (DNC) comes to an end, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, took the stage on Wednesday, Aug. 21 in Chicago, to address key issues such as immigration and border security.
Escobar directly criticized former President Donald Trump’s handling of border matters.
“Forget what you hear on the news. I’m from there,” Escobar said. “When it comes to the border, hear me when I say you know nothing, Donald Trump,” Escobar said.
During her three-minute speech, Escobar highlighted the challenges faced by border towns like El Paso and expressed that a “Harris” presidency would have a better approach to the border.
“Democrats have solutions. With Kamala Harris as president, we can live up to the promise of America. We can strengthen legal pathways to immigration, and we can secure our borders, and we can treat with dignity those who seek a better future within them,” Escobar said.
In response, Escobar’s Republican opponent Irene Armendariz Jackson, who is running against Escobar for Congress in District 16, shared her thoughts on Escobar’s comments and the current political landscape.
Armendariz Jackson said El Pasoans have faced struggles under Democratic leadership and reiterated that voters have a decision to make in the upcoming November general election.
“El Paso is not a Democrat city. El Paso is a nonvoting city. Less than four percent of the people in El Paso vote,” Armendariz Jackson said. “As El Pasoans, we have to make a decision. Do we want to continue down this road that is leaving us in poverty? Or do we want to take a stand and say no more?”
She emphasized the need for change criticizing the Democratic Party’s long-standing control over El Paso and its impact on taxes and job opportunities.
“This illegal immigration chaos and crisis that we’re feeling at the border is something that is very personal to me because it’s separated my family for many, many months at a time,” Armendariz Jackson said.
Both Harris and Trump have faced scrutiny over their respective visits to El Paso. Trump left the city with an unpaid invoice of approximately $570,000 from his 2019 campaign rally. Meanwhile, Harris has been criticized for visiting the border only once since becoming vice president.
The DNC concludes Thursday, August 22, with Vice President Harris expected to officially accept her party’s nomination for president.
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