Cowboys for Trump ride into Las Cruces

April 26-- Apr. 26--LAS CRUCES -- Cowboys for Trump, a group of conservatives from southern New Mexico, rode into Las Cruces on Thursday morning to continue supporting President Donald Trump.

The group gained attention earlier this year for riding horses to the U.S. capital highlighting issues they support such as border security, protecting the unborn and preserving second amendment rights. After the ride, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin received a phone call from President Donald Trump.

The ride

Dozens of riders participated in the horseback ride, which started at Barker Farms, in west Las Cruces, and continued east along West Picacho Avenue. It ended across the street from the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Blvd. Some people rode motorcycles and ATVs.

A rally, part of the "Circle the Wagons Tour," commenced after the ride.

"We rode on horseback for about three miles. It was great, there's a lot of people who support our president and what he's doing for our nation," said Griffin, who is the founder and leader of Cowboys for Trump. "We're here showing a sign of support for our president and for the leadership that he's showing our country."

Griffin said the group rode to Las Cruces to send a message New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that the people of New Mexico need to be the number one priority.

"We would love to be able to send a message to our governor that she needs to get behind our president and she needs to put the American people and the people of New Mexico first before her partisan politics," Griffin told the Sun-News. "We just hope that this event brings support for our need for border security and to do what's right for the people of New Mexico -- and we honestly hope it gets the attention of upper level politicians because the decisions that they're making are not what's best for New Mexico."

Separately on Thursday, Lujan Grisham was in Las Cruces touring migrant shelters, including at the county's Crisis Triage Center, which has been opened specifically to host immigrants.

Griffin said he is not against immigration but believes the United States, especially New Mexico, should take of its own citizens first.

"Every American wants to help people and we want to help people from other countries but the fact of the matter is, New Mexico leads the United States in child poverty, one-third of our Native Americans are living below the poverty level, our state is riddled with crime and we've been voted numerous times as the least desirable state to live in," Griffin said. "We need to look out for the people of New Mexico before all these other countries. We don't have the resources or the infrastructure to take on thousands of illegals from other countries."

At the rally

During the rally, Griffin told his supporters that there is indeed a border crisis that the governor needs to acknowledge.

"Right now what's going on at the border, the problem is not going away. We have a governor that's in office right now that has yet to call it a crisis," he said. "We have a governor that wants to look the other way towards Santa Fe instead of looking south in Las Cruces and acknowledge that our border situation isn't going anywhere. We need to continue to rally and start using our voices."

Griffin told rally goers about his experience speaking to Trump and that he supports the group one hundred percent.

"Thank God we have a president in office that is standing up for our rights to secure our border," Griffin said. "I had the opportunity to speak to the president, one thing that I got out of it is that he is one of us. If he were in New Mexico today in Las Cruces, he would be standing out here with us."

Supporters speak out

Joshua Martin traveled from Loveland, Colorado, to ride with the Cowboys for Trump again.

"Couy Griffin and I in met in 2008 and did horseback together across Europe giving out Bibles, helping out local churches in different ways, and then went to Israel," Martin said. "I was one of the original 13 riders who rode from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington D.C. It was challenging in many aspects, but we got to meet different people along the way and brought in a new network of patriots. I think our country as a whole is in a crisis by socialists and people who hate this country and I believe that it's good for people to be inspired."

A number of attendees, including the Sierra County Sheriff, were from other counties in southern New Mexico. And some were from West Texas.

John Joyner of El Paso, a veteran, said he absolutely loved the presentation and would come out to support the Cowboys for Trump again.

"It was peaceful and well organized," Joyner said. "Conservative people love this country and the constitution, and are willing to defend them."

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Gavin Clarkson said he was supporting the Cowboys for Trump to defend three main issues: border security, gun rights and the lives of unborn babies.

"My wife is a legal immigrant, she crossed the border 25 years ago legally. She got her work permit and her green card. She learned English by listening to country music while cleaning people's houses," Clarkson said. "It took her 14 years to become a citizen. That's too long but she doesn't like people who cut the line and cheat the system. We're very pro-immigrant.

"There's a lot of immigrant families who feel they're not being heard and that's why we're here. New Mexico is the late term abortion capital in the western hemisphere and so all of us here are standing here defending life. We want to defend the brave men and women of the Border Patrol and we don't want children dying in the journey from the Sonora desert to the border."

Smaller-scale Cowboys for Trump rides, including to Santa Fe, have taken place since the ride to the nation's capital.

Jacqueline Devine can be reached at 575-541-5476, [email protected] or @JackieIsDevine on Twitter.

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