Just six days after a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol and eight days before the inauguration of Joe Biden, President Donald Trump is coming to the Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday to end four tumultuous years next to the steel and stone manifestation of the symbol that propelled him to the head of the nation: the wall.
Trump will visit a section of the 450 miles of wall built under his administration, a section in Alamo.
The president is expected to land in Harlingen early Tuesday afternoon before traveling to the border near Alamo to tout the portions of wall that have been built during his term.
The president will visit the Valley as Congress actively attempts to impeach him for the second time.
The visit will likely be the first time Trump appears in the public eye since delivering a message about the deadly riot on Capitol Hill that resulted in five deaths and briefly ground the machinery of the United States’ democratic process to a halt on Jan. 6.
Some of the political vitriol bubbling up on the national stage is almost certain to be on display in the Valley on Tuesday.
Flag waves and “Trump Trains” and armed rallies in favor of the president have been organized by Facebook pages that have been spewing virulent conspiracy theories for days.
Democratic leaders are urging boycotts of the visit, while local leaders are issuing statements that tactfully avoid condemning or condoning the appearance while pleading for peace.
The Valley branch of La Union del Pueblo Entero will hold a counter rally denouncing the president and criticizing those local leaders the group feels should have taken a stronger stance on the visit.
Neither political party in Hidalgo County is planning any official events related to the visit. Both party chairs are imploring supporters who do take to the streets to stay peaceful and respectful.
That’s where the similarities end.
Hidalgo County Democratic Party Chair Norma Ramirez says she views the visit as certainly unnecessary and likely reckless.
“We’ve had probably the most horrific thing that’s ever occurred since our country was initiated,” she said. “Our Capitol was terrorized. We had riots, and a lot of things happened on that day, and that issue has not been properly addressed by the leadership. I don’t think it’s something that we should take lightly.”
Ramirez is calling on members of her party to boycott the opportunity to rally. She says giving the trip attention detracts from the pandemic, what she says the Valley — and the president — should be focusing on.
“People are dying,” she said. “Our hospitals are full, this is a hot spot. People are lined up right now trying to get vaccinated tomorrow morning, so I think he should be focusing on leaving his current administration — or what’s left of it — and he should be focusing on working with the incoming administration.”
The border wall and immigration are certainly big issues, Ramirez said, but the president’s visit won’t change any of that. She fears the only outcome of the tour will be more anger, more hatred and possibly violence.
“I think it’s just asking for trouble,” she said. “I think there’s violence on the streets brewing. I know that when I pass certain areas of McAllen I get people that are very aggressive toward me, especially if I’m recognized.”
Ramirez says she’s removed the Democratic chairwoman sticker from her car and has even taken to switching vehicles in an effort to avoid being recognized.
When she is recognized, Ramirez says she’s greeted by foul gestures and rude comments. One person opened their car door and spit on her car.
Fears that national political passions could translate to local crime aren’t unfounded.
Last year a chainsaw wielding man at a Black Lives Matter protest in McAllen threatened marchers and hurled racial slurs at them. Last month a fight broke out between supporters at a small Trump rally and a passing motorist that landed three people in jail.
Hidalgo County Republican Party Chair Adrienne Pena-Garza says she’s seen that hatred reach a boiling point locally as well. She remembers watching a group of people curse at an elderly woman last time Trump visited the Valley.
Pena-Garza says she trusts local Republicans to abstain from violence Tuesday.
“I strongly believe that 99.999% of people, even in the grassroots communities, do stand for peace and unity, and it’s unfortunate when we can’t see past political labels,” she said.
Although the party hasn’t planned any official events, Pena-Garza is hoping local Republicans give the president a warm welcome.
“We do welcome his visit, and I strongly believe it is a positive for our community when any sitting president visits our community,” she said. “It’s a positive to highlight not only his accomplishments but to raise awareness on our area and highlight us on a national level.”
The president will be greeted by a Valley populace that’s more Republican than it’s been in recent history. In the November election support for Republican candidates grew by over 10%.
That support, Pena-Garza says, has not wavered since a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol.
“We’re all human beings and we’re all devastated about the lives lost,” she said. “I understand that there’s frustrations and there definitely is some voter integrity concern, but overall people are heartbroken that it turned out the way it did and I’m hoping for truth and justice, and for us to come together as well.”
Although popular with his base, the president’s baseless claims of a stolen election have been widely condemned as having contributed to the deadly insurrection of the Capitol, prompting bipartisan calls to remove him from office.
Ultimately, Pena-Garza says, local members of the party see Trump’s wall as something worth celebrating — necessary to celebrate.
That partially built wall and the bravado that undergird it are what attracted Valley voters to Trump in the first place, according to Pena-Garza.
“There were a lot of people in our community that believed in his message, that wanted a strong leader — and I think it’s very important that our country has a strong leader,” she said. “It’s very important for our defense, it’s very important for how other countries see us, so I do believe that other people saw that and wanted to be on a winning team.”
Despite a tumultuous end to a tumultuous term that included a deadly pandemic, widespread unrest and a bloody riot in the halls of commerce, Pena-Garza says the voters will likely keep voting red at the ballot box.
The wall — and the strong willed man who will stand beneath it Tuesday — are what those voters want, she said.
“A lot of the people that supported the president here in the Rio Grande Valley,” she said, “I don’t see them disappearing.”
