In Texas, Trump backs wall while O’Rourke rallies opponents

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — President Donald Trump told supporters gathered for a rally in the border town of El Paso, Texas, that he’s not giving up on his pledge to build a border wall with Mexico.

The president continued to insist Monday night that the barrier separating El Paso from Mexico had made the city safer, a claim not supported by federal statistics.

Nearby, former El Paso congressman Bet O’Rourke, a possible candidate for the White House, told those at a counter rally that walls cause more problems than they solve.

The rallies served as a preview of the heated yearslong fight over the direction of the country. And they made clear that Trump’s long-promised border wall is sure to play an outsized role in the 2020 presidential race.