Aurora mayor welcomes Colorado visit from Donald Trump, other leaders say it's unnecessary
Former President Donald Trump says he will visit the Colorado city of Aurora within the next two weeks. The Republican nominee for president made the announcement during a campaign speech in New York on Wednesday night.
"In the next two weeks I'm going to Springfield and I'm going to Aurora," Trump announced. "You may never see me again but that's OK. I've gotta do what I gotta do."
Trump has made comments about Aurora several times in the past few weeks, including at the presidential debate between Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. He has falsely claimed the city has been taken over by a criminal gang from Venezuela.
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman says he welcomes a visit from Trump to correct the false narrative.
"If he comes here, I see it as an opportunity to show him the city and break the narrative that this city is out of control when it comes to Venezuelan gangs," the mayor said.
Coffman added that he hopes Trump could be briefed by local law enforcement about the real situation on the ground.
Coffman has addressed recent rumors about activity of a criminal gang from Venezuela in the city, pushing back against claims that the gang has taken over parts of Aurora.
"This is the 51st largest city in America, and we're talking about potentially two apartment complexes at one point in time," said Coffman.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican who currently represents Colorado's 3rd Congressional District -- and is switching districts in hopes of representing the 4th -- provided a statement about Trump's announcement which read in part "I am thrilled to see President Trump announce he's coming to Colorado."
While Coffman says Trump's visit could be valuable in debunking the false narrative surrounding the Venezuelan gang issue, some city leaders remain unconvinced.
"Our police department has issued statements countless times saying that this is not what's happening," Aurora Council member Crysal Murillo said. "I think him coming here, or even just announcing that, is for a political gain."
She added that many people are making assumptions about Aurora based on falsehoods, which is "deeply concerning" to residents who know the city as a safe and diverse place. Murillo says many of her constituents are overwhelmingly against Trump's visit.
Concerns over the financial burden have also been raised.
"You see reports that he has cost taxpayers in other areas lots of money, and those bills haven't been paid. I don't think Aurora taxpayers should be the ones to foot that bill," said Murillo.
Coffman expressed concern about the lasting impact these rumors could have on the city.
Murillo questions Coffman's position on the matter.
"The mayor has flip-flopped on his position, so I'm not sure he's in a position to state what's factual or what's in the best interest of Aurora," she said.
Coffman says, "My reflections on the incident were based on a briefing that we got from law enforcement, and I think that that was one snapshot in time."
The mayor says the city has not heard anything from Trump's campaign about scheduling a visit to the city.
