This archive report was first published on 8 August 2019.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump visited victims of mass shootings in Ohio and Texas, but his trip was marked by protests and accusations of racism.
Trump's visit to El Paso, Texas, came just days after a self-declared white supremacist murdered 22 people at a Walmart store, targeting customers of Hispanic origin.
At the hospital, Trump spent about an hour and a half with staff and victims before meeting with police officers at the city's emergency operations centre.
Protesters gathered in the streets, holding signs that read 'Go home. You are NOT welcome here!' and 'Trump hatred, racism not welcome here.'
Similar scenes unfolded in Dayton, Ohio, where nine people died in a mass shooting over the weekend.
Trump's visit was also met with protests in Dayton, where he told shooting survivors that 'you had God watching. I want you to know we're with you all the way.'
However, Trump's choice of language, linking Hispanic migrants to murder, rape and invasion, has been widely criticized as incendiary.
Trump has vehemently denied any racism, but his rhetoric has been accused of fueling tensions in the United States over race.
As recently as May, the president laughed and made a quip when a supporter at one of his rallies yelled that they should 'shoot' illegal immigrants.
Leading Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden gave a speech on Wednesday accusing Trump of fanning 'the flames of white supremacy.'
Trump responded on Twitter, calling Biden 'Sooo Boring!' and saying that his rhetoric 'brings people together.'
