President Trump said he “could dream about” running against Beto O’Rourke in the 2020 presidential race, even though the former congressman from Texas enjoys significant approval within the ranks of the news media.
“My attitude is, I wouldn’t mind … I mean, I’d love to have Biden. I’d love to have Bernie, I’d love to have Beto. I mean, Beto seems to be the one the press has chosen,” he said in an interview on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” Friday.
Mr. Trump criticized Mr. O’Rourke’s promise he would tear down the border walls in his hometown of El Paso.
“You have Beto, so you have Beto. And Beto comes out and he says, ’Let’s take down the wall.’ If you ever took down the wall, this country would be overrun,” he said.
Mr. O’Rourke also has voiced support of eliminating the electoral college and discontinuing use of “racist” voter ID laws.
The Texas Democrat joined the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination mid-March after losing his Senate challenge against incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018.
He is taking part in 23 events across the United States this week, currently spending the next two days in South Carolina, an early primary state.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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