Booker releases plan to combat hate crimes, white supremacist violence

Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-N.J.) presidential campaign released his plan to combat hate crimes, including white supremacist violence, on Thursday in the wake of the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, that killed 22 and officials said targeted the Hispanic community.

The plan calls for the creation of a White House Office on Hate Crimes and White Supremacist Violence, along with the establishment of an external advisory group made up of community stakeholders. 

{mosads}The advisory group would share information on specific communities with the White House, FBI, Justice Department and Homeland Security, according to Booker’s campaign. 

The strategy also looks to improve the data available on hate crimes and violence and calls for an end to the usage of the term, “racially motivated violent extremism.” 

The plan comes nearly two weeks after it was revealed that the suspected gunman in the El Paso shooting allegedly drafted a racist, anti-immigrant manifesto before the attack in which he described fears of a Latino “invasion.”

Several Democratic presidential hopefuls have revealed their strategies to combat white supremacy and gun violence in the wake of the El Paso shooting, as well as the shooting in Dayton, Ohio, which took place less than 24 hours later and killed nine people. 

Democrats have criticized President Trump in the wake of the shootings, saying he is “encouraging” white supremacists with his rhetoric and contributing to rising tensions.

Trump has pushed back on the claim that his rhetoric may have contributed to violence, accusing critics of “looking for political gain” after the El Paso shooting.