AURORA, Colo. -- Along with dozens of other news people, I tried to get an interview with Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman today. I have lots of things I want to ask him about Donald Trump coming to town. But city spokesperson Ryan Luby issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying the mayor will not be doing any interviews. He provided this statement:
“Former President Trump’s visit to Aurora is an opportunity to show him and the nation that Aurora is a considerably safe city – not a city overrun by Venezuelan gangs. My public offer to show him our community and meet with our police chief for a briefing still stands. The reality is that the concerns about Venezuelan gang activity have been grossly exaggerated. The incidents were limited to several apartment complexes in this city of more than 400,000 residents.”
How awkward. Trump said last week that Aurora is being overrun by gangs. He made those claims to the nation during the presidential debate.
Right after the debate, Aurora Police, Coffman, and council member Danielle Jurinsky, also a Republican, issued a statement saying Trump’s comments about the city being taken over by gangs was false. As if the situation was not awkward enough, Trump coming despite being told his allegations are not true – from people in his own party – shows a blatant disregard for the truth.
No further comment from mayor
Trump’s rally will be at the tony Gaylord Resort – not the apartments on Nome Street that the city shut down. In an email to the mayor, I asked, “Any idea what this visit will cost the city in terms of police, etc.? And are there any concerns about violence, especially since (Trump) has insulted the migrants of a city where one in five people were born in another country? Even with its problems, Aurora is the epitome of a melting pot, or a cultural tossed salad, if you prefer.”
According to the statement from Luby, “The city, including the Aurora Police Department, will work with its partner agencies as requested to accommodate the visit.”
Editor tells Trump to keep out
Not only have Coffman and Jurinsky both corrected Trump’s false claims, but the editor of Aurora’s community newspaper wrote a column asking Trump not to come. Again, it was so awkward.
Although Jurinsky and Coffman both cleared the air after Trump's debate statements, some Aurorans blamed them for creating the hysteria. But at the same meeting, landlord Jeff Klein said the problems with gangs at apartment complexes is real. He offered to sit down with city officials to discuss solutions to what he believes is a problem that has been going on for a long time. He said it has gotten to the point where residents wave guns around at all hours. When police are called, they respond 12 hours later and say nothing is going on, Klein said.
When I worked for a newspaper in Davenport, Iowa, we regularly had presidential candidates coming to town because of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus status. When they came, they always swung by the newspaper, shook hands with staffers and sat down with the editorial board. I had the pleasure of meeting Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and others.
For a candidate not to meet with the local newspaper – especially when alleging the city has been overtaken by Venezuelan gangs – seems counterintuitive. It’s weird.
Changes in news, politics
In my 37 years in the news business, I have seen a lot of changes. I don’t think most news sources are truly objective. Everyone is telling their story from a point of view.
But Trump is building a campaign on all-out falsehoods. People bemoan the state of the news media today but look at our politicians. Ask yourself, who tells the bigger fibs?
One wonders what Trump will say when he takes the podium Friday. Will there be hecklers in this city built by migrants? Because the truth about Aurora’s immigrant community is the opposite of how Trump is framing the discussion.
The whole thing is just weird. It seems to me Trump has stepped in it and the whole country smells it.
Aurora was not built by migrants! I've lived in Aurora for over 60 years...and it "used to be" a wonderful city that was home to thousands of military personnel at Lowry and Fitzsimmons. The "migrants" destroyed the city. Ask any "old-timer"!
ChuckMorgan
1m ago
he'll still find some way to prove that he is right and everyone else is wrong. If Aurora is as bad as he believes it is, why would he go there if the gangs control the city. He's a pathetic, worthless individual.
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